LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

ipji. ©5pgrtg|t !f xt* 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



JL. 




essenger of. ^igki 



-AND- 



INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH, 



^'THIS THEN IS THE MESSAGE WHICH WE HAVE HEAKD OF 

HIM, AND DECLARE UNTO YOU, THAT GOD IS LIGHT, 

AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL."— I. JOHN, 1-6. 



A 



w it^ 01) lr)<aex fo lr)e J^ool^ of i^cVelcrfior). 



BY 



E. MILLER, M. D. 



*'BEHOLD I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE THY FACE," CRYING "BEHOLD 
THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN." 






KINGSTON 



KINGSTON, MO. : V'V ^ I VS Z- 

STON TIMES POWER PRhWL^ A'acu "^ 



—1887.— 






Entered according* to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by 

E. MILLER, M. D., 

Ir. the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



]f]^BB^€5. 



This little work is not intended to be a compre- 
hensive discussion of the Revelation of Jesus Christ 
to the churches ; but simply an elaborate index to 
certain doctrine as revealed in the scriptures of truth. 

A portion of this work was written some twelve 
or fifteen years ago. The contents, though brief, 
have required years of study and dilligent thought. 
It is offered to the public as a little current of truth, 
running through the great ocean. 

To say that the writer was inspired with the spirit 
of truth, would perhaps be considered arrogant; — To 
deny it, would be false. 

Any one who has been under a cloud of supersti- 
tion, and the dense fog ot church dissensions >ve ask 
to go with us through the content^; of the little booki 
to see if we cannot find a line of light, and a Bible 
doctrine that will lead us to appreciate and to apply 
to ourselves that ^^Gift of God which is eternal life 
through Jesus Christ our Lord." Remember he says : 
'^My reward is with me to give every man according 
to his work.'* Reader, you can have that reward. 

If the contents of the little work should, at first 
sight, appear too radical, please review it in the same 
spirit of the writer, who has been totally untrarn^ 
meled by creeds or confessions of faith. 

E. MILLERa 
Kingston, Mo., Nov. 2 1, 1887. 



INTRODUCTION, 



To one who has been over the theological field 
and has seen dissensions and the spirit of envy existing 
among | rofessed christians, he has no doubt been 
ready, and is ready now, to cry out in the language of 
Jeremiah ix, i. "Oh that my head were waters, and 
mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day 
and night for the slain of the daughter of my people/' 
And yet, while all these differences, bickerings, isms 
and divisions exist, there is, thank God, a unity — a 
*4eaven in the lump,*' and the church is destined to see 
better days'"; but not while there is so much error in 
the doctrine and creeds of the different orders. It is 
evident that the churches are not living up to their 
high calling. It is evident that there is a weakness 
ilisplayed, and dissensions so distinctly marked, that 
infidels have multiplied — have been increased and 
strengthened. 

True Christianity should be, however, as bright 
today as ever, only a loss of power by a lack of faith. 

When the church began to decline the preachers 
told us that this must be so — that christians now 
could not have the power they once had. That the 
day of power was to some extent over, and to recom- 



O A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

pense for present sloth and weakness have pointed 
us to a better day, and that better day has been spoken 
of for centuries. And yet the good days have not 
come, but the evil has with increased power. 

As to what the present state of the church should 
be let us turn to the Prophet Isaiah, lii. 5-12 inclusive: 

^^Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, 
that my people is taken away for naught ? they that 
rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord ; 
and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 

^'Therefore my people shall know my name: 
therefore they shall know in that day that I am he 
that doth speak: behold it is I. 

^^How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet 
of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth 
peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that pub- 
lisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion, Thy God 
reigneth ! 

^'Thy watchman shall lift up the voice; with the 
voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye 
to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. 

''Break forth into joy, sing together, ye wgtste 
places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his 
people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 

''The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the 
eyes of all the nations: and all the ends of the earth 
shall see the salvation of our God. 

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, 
touch no unclean thing ; go ye out of the midst of her ; 
be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. 

"For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by 
flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God 
of Israel will be your re-reward." 

And also Paul to the Hebrews, xii. 18-24 inclu- 
sive. Here is a text on the subject of two dispensa- 
tions : 



AKt INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 7 

"For ye are not come into amount that might be 
touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, 
and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trum- 
pet, and the voice of words ; which voice they that 
heard intreated that no word more should be spoken 
unto them ; for they could not endure that which was 
commanded. If even a beast touch the mountain, it 
shall be stoned ; and so fearful was the appearance, 
that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye 
are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the 
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumer- 
able hosts of angels, to the general assembly and 
church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, 
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just 
men make perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new 
covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh 
better than that of Abel." 

"Abel yet speaketh," says Paul, "because he ob- 
tained witness that he was righteous," and "being 
de^d yet speaketh." And as we have come to the 
blood of sprinkling that speaketh better than Abel. 
That is, we may continually have a better evidence 
than Abel who had the witness that he was righteous. 
Away with that cold hope-so formal religion, and by 
the same class of preachers, we have been promised 
a millennium, — a thousand years of joy and peace. 

There is a prevailing opinion that christian unity, 
christian holiness and christian happiness i's not to 
take place until the millennium. Now, dear reader, 
be not deceived. Millennium is not mentioned in the 
sacred scriptures at all. The word is from Mille, a 
thousand, and Annus a year, and has reference to the 
thousand years mentioned in Rev. xx. 

Turn now to Rev. xii. You will discover that 
the account here given is of the infant Church, under 



O A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

the Symbol of a woman clothed with the Sun, you 
will also discover, that the dragon stood before the 
woman, ready to devour the child as soon as it was 
born. The dragon here is the Symbol of the Jewish 
power under Herod the great. See Math, if. The 
real history of Herod with the real child, and we see 
the dragon, the Symbol of the Jewish power, with the 
infant Church. By a careful examination you will 
see that this interpretation is not foreign, *^And I will 
make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I 
will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an in- 
habitant" — Jer. ix. II. 

You will further notice that this dragon (Jewish 
power) was transferred to the beast with seven heads 
and ten horns, which you will readily see means the 
Roman power. These, dragon and beast were called 
the devil and satan, &c., which means adversary and 
did and will always oppose the right way — the way of 
holiness. 

You will discover that this thousand years com- 
menced in the days of the dragon and in the days of 
the beast, — the Roman power — -and instead of peace 
and unity, there has been war and discord to the pres- 
ent time, and satan, perhaps under another name, is 
still making war with the saints. 

This word satan is a transferred Hebrew word, 
translated into the Greek by the term diabolos, and 
from that word comes devil. All these words in the 
different languages means adversary or opposer, false 
accuser, &c. The word is sometimes used in the 
plural; I. Tim. 3-4. Let the women in like manner 
be serious, not diabolous (not devils). H. Tim. 33. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 9 

Without natural affiction imiAsiCRble diaboloi^ (devils). 
Titus. 2-3. That aged woman in like manner be in 
deportment as becomes sacred persons, not diahoulous, 
(devils). Thus it may be seen that the word cifi«^o^>A- 
is not always translated devil. Perhaps the best defi- 
nition that can be given to the word satan, diabolos, 
devil, is adversary, and is applied to that evil princi- 
ple, which has pervaded the world since the creation. 
This principle is called by various names; it is al- 
ways opposed to truth and righteousness, and is said 
to have angels, (messengers) and at least one church 
Synagogue of satan and the doctrines of devils. 

Paul in speaking of this principle under the name 
of the carnal mind, Rom. viii. 7, says: *^Because the 
carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not sub- 
ject to the law of God, neither in deed can be." But 
no matter under what name, the principle may be, 
either called serpent, old serpent, satan, dragon, beast, 
adversary or devil, he is sure of destruction because 
he cannot be made subject to God's law. It is a 
mistake to think that he has dominion in any other 
world; it is a mistake to think that he can resist God 
to all eternity. 

He is to be bound a thousand years. That will 
be done by the power of truth and righteousness. That 
is the chain the angel brought to earth. God grant 
us all the knowledge of the truth and the practice of 
righteousness, and satan is hound. But, after all that 
is said, we see that he is not yet subdued, but evi- 
dently he is on his ''short space," see Rev. xx. 3. 
li\ the primitive purity of the church he was bound. 



10 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

This period was perhaps the first thousand years. 
Christ came to destroy the works of the devil, and it 
would be reasonable to suppose that he commenced 
when he came, and brought life and immortality to 
light by the gospel. Then if the thousand years was 
literal, the number of the angel being the number of 
a man, he is as before stated on his "short space," 
see Rev. xii. Read the whole chapter and under- 
stand. 

You notice here that the dragon was cast out, 
(Jesus cast out devils) and when he saw that he was 
cast out, he persecuted the woman, who is here a fig- 
ure for the church. And you further notice in chap- 
ter 13 he gave his power to the beast. This beast 
was evidently the Roman government. See full his- 
tory on another page. 

But what effect does the binding of satan have 
upon the world? Ypu discover when the woman 
clothed with the Sun made her appearance, there was 
war in heaven. The devil under various names had 
been the ruling spirit in the Jewish church, but when 
the woman — the new church — made her appearance, 
there was war. The old dragon — Jewish power — was 
turned out of heaven, — heaven is the place where 
God's presence is made manifest. — there was war in 
heaven. Micheal fought and his angels (messengers) 
fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his 
angels (messengers) fought. Here, dear reader, is the 
great battle ground. He that overcometh shall not 
be hurt by the second death. Rev. ii. 11. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 1 1 

OBJECT OF THE MESSENGER. 



The messenger will be devoted to that state of 
spirituality which declares, — ''Behold the tabernacle 
of God is with men," Rev. xxi. 3. — that Christ has 
made his second coming; that the kingdom is estab- 
lished, (not full grown) and that mankind is entirely 
under the new dispensation. Having been redeemed 
to God by the atonement of Jesus Christ, we stand 
before Him in judgment. For proof on these points 
let facts be submitted to a candid world, ''And he that 
sitteth on the throne said behold, I make all things 
new." Rev. xxi. 5. 

This would indicate that there was to be no 
more patching old garments with new cloth. '' Behold, 
J make all things new,'''' ''Behold, the tabernacle of God 
is with menJ*^ 



REVELATION. 



A knowledge of the state of the church in the 
present age is most directly revealed in the book of 
Revelation. Although this book has been considered 
dark and mysterious by christians of former ages, on 
account of the wron x date given it, it is nevertheless 
to us, when properly understood, the most direct 
written revelation of Jesus Christ, and consequently 
the most valuable book of God, and for the doctrines 
of the churches of Christ. Our Lord ordered his ser- 



12 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

vant John to write it, and send it to the seven church- 
es of Asia. 

The question now to be settled is, What this rev- 
elation of Jesus Christ teaches? Upon its authentic- 
ity there should be np doubt, for the book certainly 
is in perfect harmony with Daniel's prophecy, and 
with other books of the New Testament. 

To show that the writer of the Apocalypse un- 
derstood what he was to write about, as he expressly 
states it in Chapt. i. 19. ^' Wriie the things ivhich thou 
hast seen y and the things which are, ami the things which 
shall be hereafter.'' Here the object in writing the 
sacred book of Revelation is clearly set forth. 



THE TIME OF WRITING THE BOOK OF REV- 
ELATION. 



Among the numerous blessings which the all-wise 
Creator has bestowed upon his creatures is the Rev- 
lation of Jesus Christ, — considered as such; but view 
it as an ineffectual effort of the Creator to enlighten 
his creatures, we fall in with the popular error, that 
it would be wisdom not to attempt to explain it. 

One single thought upon this subject should 
arouse every faculty of the mind to the following con- 
siderations: W^hy should our Lord order his servant 
John to write the book, and send it to the seven 
churches of Asia, if he intended that it should be in- 
comprehensible? Can we view the writer inspired by 
the spirit of truth and sincerity, attempting to impose 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. I3 

upon the said churches by sending them a most hid- 
den mystery in the name of a Revelation? If such 
thoughts have ever arisen in our minds, let us pause 
a moment, and try to view the writer as a great 
prophet of God and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, 
using all the figures, similitudes, metaphors, &c., &c., 
current in the age in which he lived and wrote; — not 
endeavoring to conceal what he had been shown — but 
to explain to us and to all the world what he evident- 
ly saw and heard. 

We should remember that a vision does not fur- 
nish language, — the prophet sees the vision and is un- 
der the necessity of describing it in his own language, 
and in order to do this he must sometimes resort to 
figures,^similitudes and metaphors. 

It is very true that the ancient christians had ad- 
vantages over us in understanding the Apocalypse; 
both as to customs of the day and the time of writ- 
ing; but we may have even a ray of each of these 
lights by a dilligent inquiry. 

The time of writing the book has been a bone of 
contention for many centuries; and, in fact, here 
seems to be the key to the whole book, and we may 
say it would be a faithful expositor of the doctrine of 
God and revelation of Jesus Christ. 

If by proof, we find that the book was written af- 
ter the destruction of the Jews and their city, we nat- 
urally conclude that it is not a prophecy of that, ^^The 
Great Tribulation," and then we may go to work as 
nearly all commentators have done to find a fulfill- 
ment in after years; and we may search Britain, 
France, Germany, Arabia, and where not, to find the 



14 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

fulfillment of its declarations, and instead of light, 
darkness, confusion and disappointment Will be the 
result. 

If the question is asked: ^^What shall we doP'V 
We answer, that we must divest ourselves of our pre- 
conceived opinions and let the word of inspiration in- 
terpret itself, and if in this examination we find no 
light, we may then conclude that it is yet a sealed 
book, but it is here claimed that the Revelation of 
Jesus Christ is an open book. Let us weep no more, 
^^Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, of the root 
of David hath prevailed to open the book and to 
loose the seven seals thereof." 

We have said that the Revelation of God to man 
is an open book; — so we say of the science of mathe- 
matics; but to understand either we must apply our 
reason. ^^Search the scripture" is the injunction; and 
while it may appear to us in scientific arrangement, 
we may be unable to solve all its individual problems. 



EXAMINATION OF THE TIME OF WRITING 
THE APOCALYPSE. 



As the time of writing this book is of such im- 
portance to a correct interpretation of the sacred 
truths therein contained, we propose to call upon a 
few disinterested witnesses to testify in the case; and 
while we call upon disinterested witnesses we accuse 
none of being interested in producing a wrong date to 
this; — tons, the most valuable and authentic book of 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 1 5 

God and the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and for the 
doctrine of His church. 

The opinion of a respectable number, both of an- 
cient as well as modern writers, is, that the Apoca- 
lypse was written A. D., 95, 96 or 97; but upon what 
they have based such an opinion, seems somewhat 
difficult to tell, as they have certainly no correct au- 
thority for such a conclusion. 

Dn Lardner, who is one of the learned advocates 
of this opinion, in speaking of the persecution in 
which St. John, the writer, was banished, says: (after 
many other things which may be seen by consulting 
Dr. Clark's introduction to this book) ^^Therefore it 
must relate to Domitian according to ecclesiastical 
tradition." 

Now, if the right interpretation of this divine 
book depends upon ecclesiastical tradition, the advo- 
cates of the hypothesis may have just fears for their 
air-built castle. 

Dr. A. Clark in speaking of what Dr. Lardner had 
produced upon this subject, says: ^^The reasoning of 
Dr. Lardner relative to the date of this book is by no 
means satisfactory to many other critics, who consider 
it to have been written before the destruction of Jeru- 
salem; and in this Opinion they are supported by the 
most respectable testimonies among the ancients; 
though the contrary was the more general opinion, 

Epiphanius says that John was banished to 1 at- 
mos by Claudius Caesar; — this would bring back the 
date to about A. D., 50, Anduas, bishop of Caeserear 
in Capadocia, in about A. D., 500, in his comment on 
this book. Chap. i. 16, says John received the revela- 



l6 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

tion under the reign of Vespasian,- — this date also 
might place it before the final overthrow of the Jewish 
state — though Vespasian reigned to A. D., 79. 

The inscription to this book in the Syriac version, 
first published by De Diew in 1627, and afterward in 
the London Polyglott, is the following: "The rerela- 
tion which God made to John, the evangelist in the isle 
of Patmos, to which he loas banished by Nero Caesar ^ 
This places it before the year of our Lord, 69, and 
consequently before the destruction of Jerusalem. Of 
this opinion are many eminent writers. Among them, 
Hentenius, Hardwin, Grotius, Lightfoot, Hammond. 
Sir Isaac Newton, Bishop Newton, Wetstein and oth- 
ers, and to this *'cloaid" of witnesses we add the 
learned Dr. A. Clark. 

In speaking of the scheme of Mr. Lowman, Clark 
says: "Among the other objections to this and to 
all such schemes, I have this, which, to me appears 
of vital consequence; its dates are too late. I think 
the book was written before the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem, and not in 95 or 96, the date I g\vt in the mar- 
gin; \'/hich date I give not as my own opinion, but 
the opinion of others.*' — Clark's notes on Revela- 
tion. Chap. xxii. last verse. 

Now, if opinions of men were proofs positive, 
we need add nothing more. These opinions however, 
should have their due weight, as they are conclusions 
of men who have by the aid of learning, penetrated 
the darkest ages of antiquity, and in their labored re- 
searches, they return to us of this generation, and say, 
as "the voice of one," that we have found nothing that 
will warrant us in saying that the book of Revelation 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. I 7 

was written in 95 or 96; but all testify that it was be- 
fore the great tribulation of the Jews, that is before 
the year A. D. 70. 

The reader will expect, that as we proposed to 
call upon disinterested testimony, that we will give 
at least something from the other side of the question. 
This is somewhat difficult, as before intimated, as 
there is so very little reliable, and even the little pro- 
duced by the advocates of this hypothesis seems to 
be turned against the opinion that the book was writ- 
ten in the year 95 or 96. 

If the writer was banished in the latter part of 
Domitian's reign as Fleetwood says, he must have 
been rather an expert writer to .have it published in 
the latter part of the sime reign. And it is supposed 
by Fleetwood that the Apocalypse was the first book 
that St. John wrote; and indeed this supposition is 
well founded. But how the writer could be banished 
in the latter part of Domitian's reign, (Domitian died 
in Sept., 96) and then write the Apocalypse, and then 
his gospel and then his three Epistles and then fix his 
seat at Ephesus and then take upon himself the gov- 
ernment of the large diocese of Asia Minor, etc., trav- 
eling from east to v/est to instruct the world and then 
die in the beginning of Tragans reign, we must con- 
fess is rather incredible; for if we have the right date 
of Domitian's death, — Sept. A. D., 96 — his successor, 
Nerva, was chosen on the very day that Domitian was 
slain, and reigned one year, four months and nine 
days. That would make Tragan's reign commense 
in the latter part of the year 98, when St. John died, 
as Fleetwood says, in the beginning of Tragan's reign. 



1 8 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

Then any one can see that nearly all the works that 
St. John is supposed to be the author of, and most of 
his labors in the ministry seems to be confined to the 
two years, or less than that, between Domitian's reign 
and that of Tragan. Note, that the date of St. John's 
death has not been disputed, but it is here contended 
that all his labors and writings extend over a space 
of more than two years. 

Dr. Lordner says there was no persecution in 
the days of Claudius. See Acts ii. 27. Read chapt. 
xii. 1-4 V. 

In giving internal evidence of the book itself, we 
will answer the remainder of Dr. Lordner's argument, 
which we propose now to do. 

If in our preceeding remarks we have swerved a 
little, and have called up some interested witnesses, 
we propose now to call upon the most reliable wit- 
nesses that can be adduced; that is, the word of truth 
itself. 

The books of the New Testament or nearly all of 
them, show, giving them a plain and natural interpre- 
tation, that there was approaching a day or time of 
trouble, and that these books contain warnings to both 
saint and sinner; — to the former to hold fast his pro- 
fession; — to the latter to flee from the impending 
danger, and that the time referred to was near at hand. 
Then if the book of Revelation testifies in harmony 
with the other books of the New Testament, to the 
same time and to the circumstances connected with 
it, the conclusion must be, to be a correct one, that 
the books were written about the same time. And as 
the reader delights to search for these truths for him- 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 1 9 

self, a few passages from these books will suffice. 

We will commence with the first book of the 
New Testament: 

Mathew testifies that our Lord in speaking of 
the destruction of the temple (if nothing more) says, 
*'And he shall send his angels with a great sound of 
a trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the 
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other; so 
believe ye when ye shall see all these things know that 
it is near, even at the door." Math. xxiv. 32-33. 
Here is a prediction which our Lord says shall be 
fulfilled in that generation. 

The revelator says: "And the seven angels who 
had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to 
sound." Rev. viii. 6. To the angel holding the four 
winds the Revelator says *^Hunt not the earth, neither 
the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants 
of God in their foreheads." Rev. vii. 3. 

Unless we understand what was to take place at 
the sounding of these trumpets, esjrecially the last, we 
may let both of these propecies refer to a future per- 
iod, and conclude as erroneously as others that it re- 
fers to the end of the world, or to a time when all 
earthly things shall cease to be. But the Revelator 
does not so understand it. He says: — chapter 10, 
verse 15 — "And the seventh angel sounded, and there 
were great voices in heaven saying: The kingdoms 
of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord 
and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." 

The fulfillment of the prophecy of our Lord, as 
recorded in Math., is the establishment of his king- 
dom on the earth. Who will contend (save the mete- 



20 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

rialist) that the kingdom of Christ is not yet set up. 

The only difference observable in the two pas- 
sages, is, in one, the same people are called ^^eiect," 
in the other ^^servants of God;"— in one the gathering 
from the four winds, and in the other the four winds held 
or suppressed by angelic power. xA.s to time, of course 
the revelator stood nearest the dreadful conflict, 
as he witnessed the winds of destruction held or sup- 
pressed for a time. 

St. Mark as well as others, speaking of the time 
of the fulfillment of prophecies, says: ^^And except 
the Lord had shortened those days no flesh should be 
saved, but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, 
he hath shortened the days." Mark xiii. 20. The 
Revelation says: '^And the angel which I saw stand 
upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his voice to 
heaven, and swear by him that liveth forever," etc., 
^^that time should be no longer." iVnd then immedi- 
ately refers to the sounding of the seventh angel, and 
to the circumstances connected therewith, which was 
the setting up of the kingdom of our Lord and of his 
Christ, and not the disolution of all things; for '^of 
the increase of his government and peace there shall 
be no end." 

St. Luke with others gives testimony bearing up- 
on the point in question, which cannot be misunder- 
stood: ^^And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, 
and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Je- 
rusalem shall be trodden down of the gentiles until 
the time of the gentiles be fulfilled." Luke xxix. 24. 

The revelator says: ^'But the court which is 
without the temple leave out and measure it not, for 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 2 1 

it is given unto the gentiles; and the holy city shall 
they tread under foot forty and two months." 

Here the argument might close if it were not that 
it should be doubly strong — that the book of Revela- 
tion was written before the destruction of Jerusalem. 
With the foregoing passages in view, no one can dispute. 

If we go to the epistles we shall find the same har- 
mony existing; each one when speaking of the com- 
ing of Christ or the day of vengeance, speaks of it as 
being near at hand. So the revelator says, ^^Behold, 
I come quickly;" and speaking of his coming in 
clouds, he says, ^^They that pierced him shall see 
him;" signifying that those who pierced him should 
still be living. '^Then we which are alive and remain" 
says Paul, '^shall be caught up together with him in 
the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." 

From these considerations it is evident that the 
revelator expected his coming to take vengence on 
them that obey not the gospel in that generation, or 
even before those who pierced him should have 
passed away, and Paul says, ^^We which are alive and re- 
main," including himself, ^^shall be caught up," etc. 
And the revelator being upon this point, speaking of 
the two witnesses, says, '^I will give power to my two 
witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two 
hundred and three score days clothed in sack-cloth." 
These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks 
standing before the God of the ^arth. That these 
candlesticks and olive trees were churches cannot be 
denied. See Roman xi. 17, and Rev. i. 20. These 
witnesses were to prophesy one thousand, two hundred 
and th^ee score days (1260). This makes exactly the 



22 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

same length of time that the gentiles should tread 
Jerusalem under foot. Forty-two months, thirty days 
each, equal 1260 days, and we further observe that 
at the end of this time ^^the beast that ascendeth out 
of the bottomless pit should make war against them 
and overcome them and kill them, and their dead 
bodies should lie in the streets of the great city," which 
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord 
was crucified. Then, there can be no question but 
that Jerusalem is the place referred to, as our Lord 
was crucified there. Then, if the Apocalypse was 
written in the reign of Domitian it is no prophecy at 
all, but a history of past events, for Jerusalem was de- 
stroyed about eleven years before the beginning of 
Domitian's reign. And it further appears that ^^after 
three days and a half that the spirit of life from God 
entered into them and they stood upon their feet, and 
they ascended up to heaven in a cloud," and of course 
to meet the Lord, and the same hour the tenth part 
of the city fell. Can any one say that this city was 
not Jerusalem? 

If it is claimed that the revelator did write past 
events, which we are willing to allow in certain cases, 
but not here certainly, as in this connection the rev- 
elator was required to ^^measure the temple and the 
alter and them that worship therein." The language im- 
plies something more than a mental calculation; it im- 
plies action — ^^rise »nd measure;" it implies material. 
— "A reed like unto a rod" was given him. See Rev., 
nth chapter. The temple here spoken of cannot re- 
late to the New Jerusalem State, for there was no tem- 
ple therein. See chapter xxi, verse 22. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 23 

In the 17th chapter, the revelator settles this 
question beyond a doubt, by giving the number of the 
King or monarch who reigned at Rome. 

It should be borne in mind that the revelator is 
giving the explanation of the angel vi^ho showed him 
these things, and he was informed that the woman 
here spoken of, was that great city which runneth over 
the kings of the earth. No one doubts that this was 
Rome referred to^ as her seven heads were seven 
mountains on which she sat which can be said of Rome 
only. And in the same connection he saysj ^^There 
are seven kings, five are fallen, and one is, and the 
other is not yet come, and when he cometh he must 
continue a short space. And the beast that was and 
is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven and 
goeth into perdition," 

We have only to determine who was the Roman 
Emperor or Basilek who was then in power at Rome. 

If we begin with Julius Caesar, i; Augustus, 2; 
Tiberius^ 3; Coligulia, 4; Claudius, 5; one is — Nero, 
6; Galbia, 7, who reigned seven months and was suc- 
ceeded by Otho. Or if we begin at Augustus we 
avoid the dispute about Julius Caesar being an Em- 
peror, and enumerate thus: Augustusji; Tiberius, 2; 
Coligulia, 3; Claudius, 4, Nero, 5; one is — Galbia, 6; 
Otho, 7, who reigned only three months, agreeing 
with the revelator's words perfectly; ^'he must con- 
tinue a short space." "And the beast that was and 
is not, even he is the eighth and is of the seven and 
goeth into perdition.*' And here we may have more 
light if v/e can determine who was the eighth king or 
emperor of Rome; but before we can determine this 



24 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

accurately, it is necessary to understand what the 
term ^^beast" implies in the holy scriptures. We can 
go to no better authority than to the angel's interpre- 
tation to the prophet Daniel. And thus he said: 
''The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon 
earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms and 
shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down 
and break it in pieces." Dan. vii. 23. 

To show why inspired writers use the term ''beast'' 
to represent an earthly kingdom, we quote from Dr. 
A. Clark's notes on chapter xiii. verse i, by J. E. C: 
"As to the nature of the kingdom which is represented 
by the term least, we shall obtain no inconsiderable 
light in examining the most proper meaning of the 
original word — vJiaiyali. This Hebrew word is trans- 
lated in the septuagint by the Greek word theron, and 
both words signifying what we term a ivild bca,st^ and 
the latter is the one used by St. John in the Apoca- 
lyse. Taking up the Greek word therioa in this sense 
it is fully evident that if a power is represented in the 
prophetical writings under the nature of a u'ihVJbaisI^ 
that power so represented must partake of the nature 
of a wild beast. Hence an earthly belliyerent power 
is evidently designed." 

With this plain sound reasoning before us we 
can see why St. John would say "the beast that the u 
sawest, was and is not, and shall ascend out of the 
bottomless pit and go into perdition," and why "they 
that dwell upon the earth shall wonder," etc. Hence 
the term beast was applied to Rome when she was 
characteristically belligerent or persecuting; or in 
other words, when Nero reigned she "was;" when 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 25 

Galbia reigned she "is not," and when Vespasian as- 
cended out of Judah and took the government, we 
have the eighth and the one that was of the seven, be- 
cause he w^as Nero's general and representative, and 
M^as properly classed with him as one of the seven, 
though he was really the eighth, counting thus: Au- 
gustus, i; Tiberius, 2; Caligulia, 3; Claudius, 4; 
Nero, 5; — these comprise the number that had fallen; 
Galbia, 6; — the one that was then in power; Otho, 7; 
—whose reign was but three months, corresponding 
with the "short space" of the revelator, and finally 
Vespasian, 8; who was made or proclaimed Emperor 
in Judah by the army, and after ascending the throne 
of Rome, and settling some other affairs, renewed 
the war against Jerusalem. And here in Judah, is 
perhaps the place where St. John saw him, when he 
was the representative of the Roman government as 
implied in the angel's language, "The beast that thou 
sawest." And it is further observable that the reve- 
lator does use a figure of speech in calling the repre- 
sentative the thing represented, and how appropriate, 
as we can not see a government only by its represen- 
tative. And we observe stili further, the prophet 
Daniel uses the term horn for the power, and here we 
gain more light as to the horn that made war with the 
saints. The prophet says: "And the ten horns that 
were in his head and of the other which came up, and 
before whom three fell, even of that horn that had 
eyes and a mouth speaking very great things, whose 
look was more stout than his fellows." Chapter vii. 
verse 20. In verse 8 speaking of the same horn he 
says "before whom there were three of the first horns 
plucked up by tlie roots." 



26 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

Then we ask, who were the horns on this beast 
that were plucked up by the roots, — not all of them 
who had the power of the government, but three — be- 
fore the little horn? Augustus Caesar died a natural 
death, Tiberius Caesar was killed, Caligulia was killed, 
and Claudius was killed; next we have Nero who 
possibly represented the ^^little horn," who not only 
made war with the saints, but is known by every 
school boy as the greatest tyrant and persecutor the 
world ever saw. Hence "his look was more stout 
than his fellows." 

But there may be an objection raised against this 
mode of interpretation, relative to the eighth Emper- 
or of Rome, and if this objection be allowed it does 
not naturally change the date of the writing of the 
Apocalypse. By the ready approbation we will per- 
sue this subject still further, though it may appear an 
indirect persuit after the knowledge sought. 

In our mode of interpretation we have shown 
Vespasian to have been the eighth Emperor of Rome. 
It is allowed that some authors of profane history, (if 
not all) have given Vitellius a place among the Roman 
Emperors. Whether justly or not >ve will consider: 
About the time that Otho was elected, and upon that 
the historian speaks thus: "In the mean time the 
legions in Lower Germany having been purchased by 
the large gifts and precious promises of Vitellius, their 
general, were at length induced to proclaim him em- 
peror; and regardless of the senate, they declared that 
they had an equal right to appoint him to that high 
station with the cohorts of Rome." — Goldsmith's 
Rome, page 209. It appears that the emperor, Otho, 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 27 

hearing of the approach of Vitellius, made prepara- 
tions to meet him, and a battle and the defeat and 
death of Otho was the result. ^^Vitellius," says the 
historian, ^^was immediately declared Emperor by the 
senate and received the marks of distinction which 
were now accustomed to follow the appointment of 
the strongest side." It must be remembered that 
about the same time Vespasian was proclaimed Em- 
peror by the army in Judah. This fearful contest con- 
tinued between Vespasian and Vitellius for near nine 
months in which Vitellius was slain, and Vespasian 
was declared Emperor by the unanimous consent of 
the senate and the army. Upon these circumstances 
profane authors have given Vitellius a place among 
the Emperors of Rome. 

And another reason for discarding Vitellius from 
the title of Emperor, is because the sacred writers rep- 
resent the beast Rome with ten horns, which without 
our here giving a reason why, stands thus: Augustus, 
i; Tiberius, 2; Caligulia, 3; Claudius, 4; Nero, 5; 
Galbia, 6; Otho, 7; Vespasian, 8; Titus, 9; Domi- 
tian, ID. These are perhaps the ten horns taken cog- 
nizance of by sacred writers, whereas profance writers 
not being so correct, recognize these: Julius Caesar, 
i; Augustus, 2; Tiberius, 3; Caligulia, 4; Claudius, 
5; Nero, 6; Galbia, 7; Otho, 8; Vitellius, 9; Vespa- 
sian, 10; Titus, 11; Domitian, 12; comprising what 
is called the twelve Caesars. After all this is allowed, 
the date of the writing of the Apocalypse must stand 
and be recorded in the reign of the sixth, because he 
says ^^five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet 
come. Every phrase in the passage relates to time: 



2 8 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

*^Five are fallen," (now) ^^one is, (now) '^the other is 
not yet come." Then according to this authority, 
the writer of the Apocalypse had his information 
from the angel in the reign of Nero, the sixth of the 
Caesars, but according to the first mode we have the 
writing of the book, or vision of the Apocalypse in 
the reign of Galbia, who reigned in the year, A. D. 69. 

It must be borne in mind that the book of Rev- 
elation is written in highly figurative or metaphorical 
language. Yet, there is always some word or thought 
that will guide us aright, if properly studied. The 
reader should also notice the harmony existing be- 
tween the prophecy of Daniel, especially chapters ii. 
and vii., and also chapter xii., as well as other books 
of inspiration. But the internal evidence of the book 
of Revelation itself has been to a great extent over- 
looked. 

St. Paul wrote his letter to the Hebrews about 
the same time that St. John wrote the Revelation and 
sent it to the seven churches of Asia. Here you can 
not fail to see that the two books in regard to the 
state of the church are in perfect harmony. Heb. xii., 
18 to 24. 

Thus it is seen that the Apostle Paul shows the 
high state of the church as well as the Revelator. 

Paul says '^ye are come unto Mount Zion and 
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa- 
lem, and to an innumeral company of angels." The 
Revelator says ''behold, the tabernacle of God is with 
men." Paul says ''ye are come to the God, the Judge 
of all." 

Daniel says, — chapter vii. verse 10: "A fiery 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 29 

Stream issued and came forth from before him; thou- 
sand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thou- 
sand times ten thousand stood before him; the judg- 
ment was set and the books were opened." Now 
these books were evidently the same books that were 
seen by the revelator, and the four beasts the same, 
and the ten horns the same. But you notice that the 
judgment was to sit and the dominion of this fourth 
beast — Rome — should be taken away, and the king- 
dom given to the saints of the Most High. Daniel 
says, ^^Hitherto is the end of the matter." 

These passages of scripture are here given to 
show the harmony existing between the book of Rev- 
elation and other books of the Old and New Testa- 
ments. In fact, we must go to the book of Revela- 
tion to show that the kingdom of God was established 
in the earth. 

These events are generally considered belonging 
to a bter period. This, however, will be considered 
later and further on. But here, one fact should be 
noted in regard the time of the judgment. The gen- 
eral opinion prevails that all must die before there 
can be a judgment. Those people who thus believe 
have forgotten that the judgment is eternal. One 
passage of scripture is often quoted in support of this 
opinion. That is, Heb. ix. 27. '^And as it is appointed 
unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." 
In the original the word meta occurs, which has im- 
properly been translated afier^ when every Greek 
scholar knows that the primary signification of 7neta 
is with. Then the text quoted should read: ''And 
as it is appointed unto men once to die, and loith this 



30 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

the judgment." As soon as man forfeited his life, 
judgment set in and has been in the world ever since. 
Note: — How would it look for a Judge to pass a sen- 
tence of death before he had passed a sentence (or 
judgment) of guilt? But in this case it was a sentence 
of guilt and death at the same time, — not a judgment 
of guilt after death. But the great day of judgment 
was at the end of the old, and at the beginning of the 
new dispensation. 



THE TWO DISPENSATIONS. 



Dispensation may be defined to be a period of 
certain rules and actions. In God's general govern- 
ment there are two, — the old and the new, or first 
and the last; or, in other words, the Jev/ish and 
Christian. 

In human life there are two, — the state of the 
young and the old; in human life there are two 
natures, — the animal and spiritual; in one year there 
are two distinct dispensations, — winter and summer, 
spring and autumn being only intervals between the 
two. In a single day there are two dispensations, — 
a night and a day; night comes first. ^^The evening 
and the morning was the first day." It would seem 
that for everything, that God designed in its con- 
struction and existance two distinct periods, differing 
from each other as much as day and night; in fact, 
the reverse of each other. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 3 1 

The two dispensations of God in his govern- 
ment with the world at first view seems to be a mere 
accident, but when we notice two distinct periods in 
the existance of almost everything, we may rightly 
conclude that it was God's wise purpose to make two 
distinct periods in his wise government over his peo- 
ple, — the nations of the earth. 

We notice the first is one of darkness and of 
tempests, and blackness and death, corresponding 
with the night of one single day. Read Heb. xii. »i8 
to 29 inclusive. Here the great Apostle has given us 
a graphic description of the two. The first corres- 
ponding with night, the other with day. The first 
was that of darkness, blackness and tempest; — the 
full force of the voice of the Law, the night of God's 
government. In the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, 
human eyes saw for the first time a dim outline of the 
Great Jehovah, whilst the black smoke curled from 
the top of the mount, completely obscuring the sun of 
day. And then the Great Jehovah decends in sheets 
of fire and flame. And then the voice of the Law 
which gives kin its strength, heralded with the voice 
of loud sounding trumpets, threatens instant destruc- 
tion to man or beast who would touch the mount, 
and so terrible was the sight that it made Moses, a 
man of nerve, exceedingly fear and quake. And the 
multitude cries out, ''We cannot endure it.". 

Before we come to speak of the last or new dis- 
pensation, we shall notice corresponding dispensa- 
tions. We have said that night is the first dispensa- 
tion of the day, and is a fair representation of dark- 
ness, gloom and death. Winter corresponds with 



32 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

death, and summer with life. We notice the first dis- 
pensation in all these, that the first is most dark, ex- 
cepting that of human life, when youth seems to be 
the bright side, and age the dark side. This is not as 
it should be. God did not design it so; this is a 
perversion. Old age should be the most glorious of 
all the periods of life; the old man should be able to 
look back on a well spent life, and his children fol- 
lowing in his footsteps; but this we rarely see. The 
young man is full of joy and pleasure, and the old 
man is bowed down with cares and with tears and 
grief. What is the matter? Something wrong here. 
The old man now takes care of the young man. O, 
desperation! Young man what is wTong, what is the 
trouble with the old man? Oh, we think we know. 
You are living too fast, young man. You are now in 
the ^^riotous" business, but you will certainly come to 
the ^'husks" of your father's hog pen, if you do not 
change such a course. Young man, take advice and 
stop now; go right away and comfort the old man's 
heart. 

Young lady, will you think of mother's tears 
while you are giddy in your fine ruffles? Give the 
old man and old w^oman one breath of comfort. Let 
them see you take hold of the helm as though you in- 
tended to do something for yourself, then the old 
man will take courage. You look after him a moment 
and the old man will rejoice and this will be the har- 
vest — the summer and the day-time of his life. 

But we now return to the two dispensations of 
God's government. The new is not so bright as it 
should be. It has by man been patched to much 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. ;^^ ' 

with the old cloth, and with creeds and confessions of 
faith. There is the trouble. We have tried to patch 
the new with the old. Let us go back and read Paul 
again. He says ^^ye have not come to blackness and 
darkness and tempest." No, no; all this is past, but 
**ye are come to Mt. Zion," etc. 

The two dispensations correspond with the two 
natures of our existence, — a material nature and a 
spiritual. These two are joined together and yet are 
as distinct as day and night. While we are in this 
material state, the spiritual state surrounds us at less 
than arm's length. The man with the withered hand 
had only to stretch it forth and it was in the spiritual 
state, and made whole as the other. The man with 
palsy had only to rise up and he was in the spiritual 
state and made ^^every whit whole." And so we have 
only to demand in the name of Christ, our material 
nature subject to him, and we rise in all the power 
and glory of the spiritual man. Yes, we are come 
to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, to the 
heavenly Jerusalem, that glorious city that John the 
revelator, saw descending from God; to an innumera- 
ble company of angels. Yes, it is our privilege to be 
in that company, and in union with the spirits 
of just men made perfect, and to that blood of sprink- 
ling which cleanses from all sin and speaketh better 
things than that of Abel. 

Abel's blood cried for vengeance, but the blood 
of sprinkling cries Aba — Father. Oh, what glory in- 
that cry, God, our father, all the blood-washed and 
redeemed in heaven our breathren, yea, a whole 
family of the redeemed. Yes, with one hand we can 



34 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

touch the old man with his body of sin and death, 
and with the other we can touch Jesus, the mediator 
of the new covenant. Yes, to-day we may stand in 
the general assembly and church of the first born 
which are written in heaven, and to-day it is our 
privilege to stand before God, the judge of all, and 
hear him say '^well done, thou good and faithful serv- 
ant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." Yes, let us say 
again, to-day we can leave the blackness, and dark- 
ness, and tempests of sin and death, and enter into 
new spiritual life, to the joys of our Lord. 

The first of these dispensations was that of law, 
and was human in its character. The second is di- 
vine and heavenly in character. The new dispensa- 
tion was established at the close of the old. The 
question now comes, when did the old dispensation 
close, and when did the new dispensation begin? It 
is needless to say much about the old. it is proper 
to state, however, that Christ suffered on the cross in 
the old dispensation, under the rule of sacrifices of 
blood, while he and all his disciples were preaching 
the early coming of the new. Christ's command- 
ment to his followers to go into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature was under the old 
dispensation. To come at once to the point, the old 
dispensation closed wath the destruction of the Jews 
and their city which took place A. D., 70. (See time 
of writing the book of Revelation on another page.) 
Yet, at the same time, the new state of things was 
fairly under way. '^And he shall confirm the cove- 
nant with many for one week: and in the midst of the 
week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 35 

cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he 
shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, 
and that determined shall be poured upon the deso- 
late." Daniel ix. 27. We can not refrain from no- 
ticing the fact that Daniel was to seal the words until 
the time of the end. 

This revelation was sealed by Daniel, and that 
in Rev., chapter v., the Lamb takes the little book 
and opens its seven seals, and while the seven seals 
were being opened, that the 144 thousand of the 
tribes of the children of Israel were sealed, and while 
this was being done, four angels held the winds of de- 
struction off the city and Jewish people. As soon as 
this was done, the bottomless pit was opened, and the 
. locusts came forth which represents the Roman army, 
and the angels of the Euphrates, who were prepared 
to slay the third part of men were loosed, so that the 
whole army consisted of two hundred thousand thou- 
sand horsemen. ^T heard the number," says the rev- 
elator. This number has, perhaps, direct reference to 
the whole force of all nations who were ready under 
the beast, — Roman Empire — to make war on the Jews. 
For you notice that the whole country of the Eu- 
phrates was ready to co-operate with the Romans. 
^'By these," says the revelator, "one third part of 
men should be killed." There were slain of the Jews 
according to Josephus, one million, one hundred 
thousand. And according to the number of sacrifi- 
ces slfin at the feast of the passover amount to 2,- 
700,000, besides some that were not admitted to the 
feast, and ninety-seven thousand that were carried 
captives. This would make the number 2,797,000. 



36 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

^^Now," says Josephus, 'Hhis vast multitude is indeed 
collected out of remote places, but the entire nation 
v/as now shut up by fate as in a prison, and the Ro- 
man army encompassed the city when it was crowded 
with inhabitants. Accordingly, the multitude of those 
that therein perished exceed all the destructions, that 
either man or God ever brought upon the world." 
Josephus War, 6-10-4. Then, if there were 2,700,- 
000 counting ten for each sacrifice, those holy per- 
sons and others with leprosy, and others who could 
not be admitted amount to 600,000, would make 3,- 
300,000 of the whole Jewish nation, and one-third 
slain would make exactly 1,100,000 as given by Jose- 
phus and as given by the Revelator. But some may 
claim that this is too low an estimate of the Jewish 
nation. It is elsewhere stated in Josephus, that in 
the year A. D., 65, (in Nero's reign) that three mil- 
lions of Jews were at the feast of the passover, so 
that it may be stated that such a co-incident in the 
histories of two different books, one a prophecy and 
the other profane history, is rarely seen. It is also 
another link in the chain of evidence showing that 
the book of Revelation was written before the de- 
struction of the city of Jerusalem. 

In chapter x. there is an account of another 
book being opened and St. John commanded to eat 
it, and to prophesy again. Then in chapter xi. the 
old temple was measured except that part which was 
given to the gentiles, and the two witnesses fl-ere to 
prophesy forty and two months. — forty and two 
months was the same time which the gentiles were to 
tread the city under foot; was the three years and 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 37 

one-half; — 1260 days mentioned elsewhere. There 
can be no doubt that the two witnesses were the Jew- 
ish and the gentile churches. See Rom. xi. 17; Rev. 
xi. 4. ^^And when they should finish their testimony 
they were to be slain and their dead bodies to lie on 
the streets of the great city, which spiritually is 
called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was cruci- 
fied." That Jerusalem was the city referred to, there 
can be no doubt, as our Lord was crucified there. 

The next great event is the sight of the new 
chureh under the figure of a woman clothed with the 
sun. Chapter xii. And in this connection St. John 
heard the loud voice: ^'Now is come salvation and 
strei^gth, and ihe kingdom of our Lord God and the 
power of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren 
is cast down which accused them before God, day, 
and night." And then in chapter xiii. the beast him- 
self is seen. "And yet v/hile the blood flowed like a riv- 
er the Lamb stood with his one hundred and forty-four 
thousand, standing on Mt. Zion, and they sang a new 
song but no man could learn it but the redeemed." 
And now you will notice that of the people, their 
plagues fall thick and fast. And now the mysterious 
woman appears, the name written on her forehead: 
(Metoopon may mean front line of battle, as w^ell as 
forehead.) Mystery Babylon the yreat, the rnothe?^ of 
Harlots, and abomination of the earth. There is no 
mistake about this for she is the great city which 
reign'eth over the kings of the earth. This can be 
said of Rome and of no other, as she is the only city 
having universal empire which sat upon seven moun- 
tains, but she is called Mystery Babylon because she 



;^8 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

was like Babylon. The revelator may have had the 
history of the destruction of Babylon in mind at the 
time, for the next chapter is in substance as that giv- 
en by the Prophet Isaiah, chapter xiii. See Rollins^ 
History, page 131. The next — chapter xix. — gives an 
account of the rejoicing of the saints at seeing the 
righteous judgment of God. 

The next scene is chapter xx. Satan bound. 
This binding of satan is figurative and should not be 
considered literally. To suppose that the angel had 
a meterial chain in his hand, is absurd. When there 
is a truth uttered and finds good ground, or a righteous 
act performed, satan is bound to that extent. This 
we hold to be true of the primitive church, and per- 
haps may be said of the first thousand years. But 
when men began to propegate their opinions for truth, 
error prevailed, satan is to the same extent loosed. 
This we claim is true of the last eight hundred years. 
But we are kindly informed by the revelator that this 
state of things is of short duration when compared 
with the whole extend of Christ's everlasting reign, 
and we thank God to-day, as did the christians of all 
ages, ^^because he has taken to himself this great 
power and hath reigned." It should be distinctly un- 
derstood that this binding of satan took place under 
the new dispensation, and the period of his freedom 
is also under the same dispensation. It should be 
borne in mind that about the last act of the old dis- 
pensation was to offer up the great sacrifice, when 
Christ said it is finished. The state then intervening 
between that time and the sounding of the seventh 
trumpet of the gospel, may be considered as the per- 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 39 

iod between the two dispensations. That may cor- 
respond to the twilight that occurs between night and 
day, and correspond to the half hour silence in heav- 
en between the ascension of our Lord and the day of 
pentacost, when the angels with trumpets were pre- 
pared to sound, as this silence took place at the 
opening of the seventh seal; and the seven trumpets 
were given with the understanding that they were to 
tarry in Jerusalem until they were indued with power 
from on high. And the seven angels which had the 
seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. This 
time is mentioned in Mathew's gospel. Chapter xxiv. 
*'And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a 
trumpet and they (meaning more than one) shall 
gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of 
heaven to the other." Now the new state of things 
begin to appear at Jerusalem on the day of pentacost, 
which was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, See 
Acts ii. 1 6-1 7-1 8. Yet, while this was in the very 
last days of the old, it was the beginning of the new 
state of things, and soon comes the great conflict — 
the sun, the representation of the church darkened, 
and the moon, the representation of the Jewish church, 
turned into blood. Now, the signs and wonders ap- 
pear, and the battle rages furiously. Thus were the 
two witnesses whose lives were lost and whose bodies 
lay in the streets of the great city three days and a 
half; — three years and a half, 1260 days — the time 
the Gentiles should tread the city under fool, and the 
Jewish people should be destroyed. And finally the 
seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in 
heaven saying: *^^The kingdoms of this world are be- 



k 



40 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

come the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, 
and he shall reign forever and forever." Rev. xi. 15. 
The new dispensation is now set up and is to be an 
everlasting kingdom. This is the kingdom spoken 
of by Daniel, the prophet. Chapter ii. 44. '^And in 
the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set 
up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and 
the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it 
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms 
and it shall stand forever." Now the kingdoms here 
spoken of by the prophet Daniel, were these being 
represented by a great image, — chapter ii. — and an- 
other vision of the same four beasts is given in chap- 
ter vii., which is given that the reader may see that 
the same beasts here spoken of, are the same as seen 
by the Revelator — chapter iv. — when God's throne 
was established among them. And you will notice 
that the same beast with seven heads and ten horns is 
the same which Daniel saw with legs of iron, his feet 
part of iron and part of clay. And in chapter vii. 
you will notice in the duration of this kingdom the 
judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his do- 
minion. The Revelator speaks of the very same beast 
and the horns as did Daniel. Who so readeth let 
him understand. The judgment began under the 
reign of the fourth beast as declared by the prophet 
Daniel and the Revelator, and harmonizes with all 
other writers of the New Testament, who wrote upon 
the subject. Jesus said, ^^now is the judgment of this 
world, now is the prince of this world cast out." 
John xii. 31. 

Peter says, ^^the time is come that judgment must 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 4I 

begin at the house of God, and if it begin at us, what 
shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel." 
I Peter iv. 17. It is here plain that Peter looked for 
the judgment to begin at Jerusalem, and to be in his 
day or at least in a short time. Christ says, '^for 
judgment I am come into the world." And it was said 
in his humiliation his judgment was taken away. It 
is a fact, and there is no use in disguising the fact 
that the judgment of God is eternal, but the judg- 
ment of the great day is the one under consideration. 
The Revelator says, — chaj ter xiv. 7 — "fear God and 
give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is 
come." And we observe that at this time the ever- 
lasting gospel was preached to the nations of the 
earth. Verse 6, "And I saw thrones and they that 
sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them," 
etc., "and Jesus said, verily I say unto you that ye 
which have followed me in the regeneration when the 
son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also 
shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel." Math. xix. 28. This certainly does 
not refer to the post-mortem state, as Christ is the 
only judge of the quick and dead. Peter says, "for 
this cause (purpose of the judgment) the gospel was 
preached to them that are dead, that they might be 
judged according to men in the flesh, but live accord- 
ing to God in the spirit." I Peter iv. 6. There is 
nothing more plain and natural than that we are to 
be judged in the flesh, except those who died before 
Christ's judgment was set up, and that is the reason 
that the gospel should be preached to the dead, or 
spirits in prison. See I Peter iii. 19. 



42 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

Christ says, '^I can of mine own self do nothing: 
as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just; because 
Tseek not mine own w^ill, but the will of the Father 
which sent me." If Christ's kingdom is in our midst, 
then judgment is there also. He says, ''as I hear, I 
judge. ' Dear reader, we stand before God to-day 
either condemned or acquitted. Bear this in mind. 
^^And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, 
and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: 
for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." 
And this is by the law he hath put in our minds and 
hearts. See Heb. viii. lo-ii. 



THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 



This event is so well connected with the judg- 
ment that we shall here speak of that subject. 

There is perhaps, no event recorded in the scrip- 
tures of truth so w^ell established, and the general out- 
line of the time so definitely stated, and all the cir- 
cumstances connected therewith so fully declared, as 
the second coming of our Lord; and no question upon 
which the people have been so misled and deceived, 
although the day and the hour — the exact time — was 
not known to any one except to the Father himself. 
And the coming was to be obscure, '^as a thief in the 
night" and required close watching, but the near ap 
proach was plainly stated. 



I 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 43 

When our Lord and his disciples were viewing 
the temple and talking of its future destiny, he 
said, ''as he sat on mount olives the disciples 
came unto him privately, saying:" ''Tell us when 
shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of 
thy coming and of the end of the (aioonos) age?" 

The first thing, Christ warns them not to be de- 
ceived, and immediately proceeds to discuss the ques- 
tion in regard to the time and circumstances of the 
event in the question, although there were three 
points in the question: — The destruction of the temple, 
Christ's coming, and the end of the age. We now lay 
before the reader the entire 24th chapter of the gospel 
by Mathew, and parallel passages from the book of 
Revelation, and other books of the New Testament: 

"And Jesus went out, and departed from the 
temple; and his disciples came to him for to shew 
him the buildings of the temple. 

"And Jesus said unto them, see ye not all these 
things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left 
here one stone upon another, that shall not be 
thrown down. 

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the 
disciples came unto him privately, saying, tell us, 
when shall these things be? and what shall be the 
sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, take 
heed that no man deceive you. 

"For many shall come in my name, saying, I am 
Christ; and shall deceive many. 

"And ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars: 
see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must 
come to pass, but the end is not yet. 

"For nation shall rise against nation, and king- 
dom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, 
and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. 



44 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

^^All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

'^Then shall they deliver you up to be affiicted, 
and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all na- 
tions for my name's sake. 

'^\nd then shall many be offended, and shall be- 
tray one another, and shall hate one another. 

''And many false prophets shall rise, and shall 
deceive many. 

''And because iniquity shall abound, the love of 
many shall wax cold. 

"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same 
shall be saved. 

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 
in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and 
then shall the end come. 

"When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination 
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel, the prophet, stand 
in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.) 

"Then let them which be in Judea flee into the 
mountains: 

"Let him which is on the house-top not come 
down to take anything out of his house: 

"Neither let him which is in the field return back 
to take his clothes. 

"And wo unto them that are with child, and to 
them that give suck in those days! 

"But pray ye that your flight be not in the win- 
ter, neither on the Sabbath-day. 

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was 
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, 
nor ever shall be. 

"And except those days should be shortened, 
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's 
sake those days shall be shortened. 

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here 
is Christ, or there; believe it not. 

"For there shall arise false Christs, and false 
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; in- 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 45 

^ somuch that, if it ivere possible, they shall deceive 
the very elect. 

^'Behold, I have told you before. 

^^Wherefore, if they shall say unto you^ Behold, 
he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the 
secret chambers; believe it not. 

''For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and 
shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming 
of the Son of man be. 

''For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the 
eagles be gathered together. 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days, 
shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not 
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, 
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 

"And then shall appear the sign of the Son of 
man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the 
earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man com- 
ing in the clouds of heaven with power and great 
glory. 

"And he shall send his angels with a great sound 
of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect 
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the 
other. 

"Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; when his 
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye 
know that summer is nigh: 

"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, 
know that it is near, even at the doors. 

"Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not 
pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my 
words shall not pass away. 

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, 
not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the 
coming of the Son of man be. 

"For as in the days that were before the flood, 



46 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving 
in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the 
ark, 

^^And knew not until the flood came, and took 
them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of 
man be. 

^'Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be 
taken, and the other left. 

^^Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the 
one shall be taken, and the other left. 

^'Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour 
your Lord doth come. 

^^But know this, that if the good man of the 
house had known in what watch the thief would come, 
he would have watched, and would not have suffered 
his house to be broken up. 

^^Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an 
hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. 

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom 
his lord hath made ruler over his household, to gi^e 
them meat in due season? 

"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he 
cometh, shall find so doing. 

"Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him 
ruler over all his goods. 

"But and if that evil servant shall say in his 
heart, my lord delayeth his coming; 

"And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, 
and to eat and drink with the drunken; 

"The lord of that servant shall come in a day 
when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he 
is not aware of, 

"And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his 
portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping 
and gnashing of teeth." 

Luke xxi. 24-34. "And they shall fall by the 
edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all 
the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of 
the Gentiles, until the time of the GentiLes be fulfilled. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 47 

And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; 
and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity 
for the roaring of the sea and billows; men fainting 
for fear, and for expectation of the things which are 
coming on the word: for the powers of the heavens 
shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of 
man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 
But when these things begin to come to pass, lookup 
and lift up your heads; because your redemtion draw- 
eth nigh. 

And he §ipake to them a parable: Behold the 
fig tree, and all the trees: when they now shoot forth, 
ye see it and know of your own selves that the sum- 
mer is now nigh. Even so, ye also, when ye see 
these things coming to pass, know ye that the king- 
dom of God is nigh. Verily I say unto you, this gen- 
eration shall not pass away, till all things be accom- 
plished." Verse 36, same chapter. ^^Watch ye there- 
fore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted 
worthy to escape all these things, that shall come to 
pass, and to stand before the Son of man." 

I Thessalonians, V. i, 2, 23 verses; "But of the 
times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that 
I write unto you. 

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of 
the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; 
and I pray your whole spirit and soul and body be 
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

Rev. i. 7. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and 
every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced 
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because 
of him. Even so, Amen." 

Rev. X. 5-6-7. "And the angel Vv^hich I saw 
stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his 
hand to heaven. 

"And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, 
Vv^lio created heaven, and the tilings that therein are, 



48 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the 
sea, and the things which are therein, that there 
should be time no longer; 

^^Bnt in the days of the voice of the seventh an- 
gel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God 
should be finished, as he hath declared to his serv- 
ants the prophets. 

Rev. xi. 1 5-1 6-1 7-1 8. ^^And the seventh angel 
sounded: and there were great voices in heaven, 
saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the 
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall 
reign for ever and ever. 

■^And the four and twenty elders, which sat be- 
fore God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and 
worshiped God. 

''Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Al- 
mighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; be- 
cause thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and 
hast reigned. 

''And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is 
come, and the time of the dead, that they should be 
judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy 
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them 
that fear thy name, and shouldest destroy them which 
destroy the earth." This was before the new church. 
See chapter xii. 

I Thessalonians, iv. 15-16-17. "For this we say 
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are 
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall 
not prevent them which are asleep. 

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heav- 
en with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and 
with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall 
rise first: 

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be 
caught up with them together in the clouds, to meet 
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the 
Lord. 

"Wherefore comfort one another with these 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 49 

words." Here Paul expected to meet the Lord in 
the air. 

Math. xvi. 28. '^Verily I say unto you, there be 
some standing here, which shall not taste of death; 
till they see the Son of man, coming in his kingdom." 
This settles the question without a doubt. 

We wish it distinctly understood, that the King- 
dom of Christ did come in that generation, and that 
it is still coming, and will come until it fills the whole 
earth. 



THE RESURRECTION. 



The doctrine of the resurrection is of great im- 
portance to every believer, and has been a matter of 
discussion from the early ages of Christianity; and 
even before that age. Every one knows that it has 
been taught by theologians of some of the old schools 
that the resurrection could not take place until after 
the death of the entire human family, and that the 
body that ceased to live is to be the identical body 
which is to be raised again to life. In this matter 
we have only to be guided by inspiration and reason; 
for God is certainly the author of reason as well as 
inspiration, and we should not rely upon the one to 
the exclusion of the other; for we claim that inspira- 
tion and reason will agree in every particular, for God 
is not the author of confusion. 

When we first read Paul's reasoning on the sub- 
ject as recorded in I Cor., and fifteenth chapter, we 
thought it was a new doctrine; for it was not in har- 



50 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

mony with what we had been taught from the pulpit. 
For this reason we shall lay before the reader what 
the inspired writers have given us on this subject. 
I Gor. XV. 35 to 54 inclusive: 

^^But some man will say, how are the dead raised 
up? and with what body do they come? 

^^Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quick- 
ened except it die: 

^^And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not 
that body that shall be, but bear grain, it may chance 
of wheat, or of some other grain: 

^'But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased 
him, and to every seed his own body. 

^^All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one 
kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another 
of fishes, and another of birds. 

'^There are also celestrial bodies, and bodies ter- 
restrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the 
glory of the terrestial is another. 

^^There is one glory of the sun, and another glo- 
ry of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for 
one star differeth from another star in glory. 

"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is 
sown in-;corruption, it is raised in incorruption: 

*'It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory: it 
is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: 

"It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual 
body. There is a natural body, and there is a spirit- 
ual body. 

"And so it is written, the first man Adam was 
made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quick- 
ening spirit. 

"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, 
but that which is natural; and afterward that which 
is spiritual. 

"The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second 
man is the Lord from heaven. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. SI 

"As is the earthy, such are they also that are 
earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also 
that are heavenly. 

''And as we have borne the image of earthy, we 
shall also bear the image of heavenly. 

''Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood 
cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth cor- 
ruption inherit incorruption. 

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all 
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the 
last trump: (Note — the last trump was when the 
Kingdom was set up. See Rev. xi. 15.) for the trumpet 
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, 
and we shall be changed. 

"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, 
and this mortal must put on immortality. 

"So when this corruptible shall have put on in- 
corruption, and this mortal shall have put on immor- 
tality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is 
written, death is swallowed up in victory. 

In another part of this work under the head, 
"What is Man?", we have shown that there is a spir- 
itual body which grows up as wheat from the seed, 
and that the spirit of life from God is the seed, and 
that our natural, earthy, fleshy bodies are the rcceptic- 
als of this heavenly spiritual seed. See parable of the 
sower. Luke viii. 5 to 15 inclusive. Yet, we do not 
claim that the earthy fleshy body has not, nor cannot, 
be changed to a spiritual incorruptible body. "And the 
graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints 
which slept arose, and came out of their graves after 
his resurrection, and went into the Holy city and ap- 
peared unto many." Math, xxvii. 52-53. Thisshows 
conclusively that there can be a resurrection before 



52 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

the death of the whole human family. But we have 
but one other account of it after decomposition set in, 
that in the case of Lazarus, and in that case it was 
only the opinion of Martha, as he had been dead four 
days. But Lazarus being raised does not show that 
he was raised to a heavenly state, which the resurrec- 
tion implies. Paul did not expect to sleep but that 
he must be changed from corruptible to incorrupti- 
ble. The resurrection implies the raising up from an 
earthly corruptible state to a heavenly incorruptible 
state. 

But some may object to this mode of interpreta- 
tion, believing that the resurrection refers entirely to 
the post-mortem state. See John xi. 23. ^^Jesussaid 
unto her, (Martha) thy brother shall rise again. Mar- 
tha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in 
the resurrection at the last day. (This is the popular 
idea). ^^Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection 
and the life, he that believeth in me though he were 
dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and be- 
lieveth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" 

We do not wish to be understood as being op- 
posed to the doctrine of the resurrection in the post- 
mortem state; for certainly the scripture teaches that 
doctrine clearly. But the question, ^'With what body 
do they come?" Paul says, ^^Thou sawest not the 
body that shall be, but bare grain." Bat God giveth 
it a body as it hath pleased him," and to every seed 
his own body, and that these bodies may be fleshy or 
heavenly (spiritual). There are bodies celestial (heav- 
enly) and bodies terrestrial, (earthy). Did God give 
to Elias a fleshy body in the person of John the bap- 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 53 

tist? See Math. xi. 14. Or in other words, did he 
not send John in the spirit and power of Elisha? ^^Oh 
the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowl- 
edge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments 
and his ways past finding out." Verse 44, ^'It is sown 
a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." Here 
we reach the conclusion of the great Apostle to the 
Gentiles. But there is another resurrection spoken 
of in the scripture, and by way of distinction is called 
the first resurrection. And on whom, the subjects of 
this resurrection, the second death hath no power. 
And further, the subjects of this resurrection are to 
be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with 
him a thousands years. 

Now, certainly this reign of Christ a thousand 
years is not in the post-mortem state. Certainly this 
scene is placed upon the earth. Then these subjects 
are they, who in this state of being, have passed from 
death unto eternal life In perfect harmony are the 
Savior's words to Martha, ^'Whosoever liveth and be- 
lieveth in me shall never die." 

But some may say, does not observation and 
experience teach to the contrary? We answer, no. 
But on the contrary, observation, experience and the 
scriptures teach that ^^whosoever ]#v^eth and believeth 
in Christ shall never die." First, — observation — A 
lady, with whom the writer was acquainted, came to 
(we cannot say death-bed) her last moments in this 
life, called her brother John to her bed-side, and 
said, '^John, do you think that I am dying?" John 
said, ^'yes, sister, I think you are." She said, ^^if this 
is death, it has been wonderfully misrepresented; for 



54 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

instead of darkness and gloom, I am rising up into 
new life," and she thus passed away. 

I ask a few questions. I ask, ^'Dying Stephen, 
what have you to say?" "^Lord Jesus, receive my 
spirit." ^^Dying John Wesley, what have you to say?" 
^^The best of ail is, God is with us.." ''Dying Ed- 
ward Payson, what have you to say?" ''I float in a 
sea of glory." ''Dying Paul, what have you to say?" 
"I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my 
departure is at hand; I have fought the good fight, I 
have finished my course, I have kept the faith. O, 
Death, where is thy sting? O, Grave, where is thy 
victory? Thanks be unto God who giveth us the 
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." O my Lord, 
my God, what a delusion! what a glorious delusion! 
Submerge me with it, fill my eyes and ears with it, 
put it under my dying head for a pillow — this delu- 
sion — spread it over me for a canopy, put it under- 
neath me for an outspread wing — roll it over me in 
ocean surges ten thousand fathoms deep! Oh, if in- 
fidelity, and if atheism, and if annihilation are a real- 
ity, and the Christian religion is a delusion, give me 
the delusion. — Talmage, from Christian Witness. 

Experience. — My dear brother or sister, what is 
your experience on this subject, when you first em- 
braced the Savior? Did you not realize that you had 
passed from death unto life? 

The scripture. — "He that loveth his life shall 
lose it; and he th^ hateth his life in this world shall 
keep it unto life eternal." — John xii. 25. "My sheep 
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" 
(This was certainly in this life). But the sentence 
completed, "And I give unto them eternal life, and 
they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them 
out of my hands." — John x. 27 and 28. "This is the 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 55 

record! That God hath given to us eternal life, and 
this life is in his son. He that hath the son hath life: 

and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 

I John V. II and 12. ^^Verily, Verily, I say unto you, 
if a man keep my sayings he shall never see death." 
—John viii. 5. '^Verily, Verily, I say unto you, he 
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent 
me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into con- 
demnation; but is passed from death into life. John 

V. 24. Now, dear reader, what do you think of all 
this? ^^Believest thou this?" See also I John iii. 4. 
But the reader may say all this means that the 
persons here referred to shall not die eternally. ^Now, 
dear reader, remember that eternal death is not men- 
tioned in the scripture. And whoever teaches such a 
doctrine adds to the scripture testimony. And now 
we will give one more passage of scripture and close 
this part of the argument. ^^Behold, the tabernacle 
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and 
they shall be his people." (This certainly means on 
this earth the com^mon dwelling place of man). "And 
he shall wipe away all tears from their eyes," (yes it 
must have been in this vale of tears) "and there shall 
be no more death," (it was in a place Avhere there 
had been death) "neither sorrow, nor crying, neither 
shall there be any more pain: {ponos) (does not mean 
bodily pain, but means hardship, struggle, etc.) "for 
the former things have passed away. And he that sat 
upon the throne, said, behold, I make all things new. 
And he said unto me, write: for these words are true 
and faithful."— Rev. xxi. 3, 4 and 5. No one will 
contend that what is here said has reference to the 



56 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

future spiritual world — that place which we call heav- 
en. No, certainly not; for anguish, grief, tears, sor- 
row and hardships never did exist there, and conse- 
quently there could be no change, as herein declared. 
But it was in a place where there were sorcerers, and 
idolators, and liars, and where there was a bride, the 
Lamb's wife — the church. But some may say we 
shall not realize all this until we go to heaven. Well, 
we have no objections if, instead of going to lieaven, 
heaven comes to us. And this is exactly the case: 
^^Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men." Paul 
expected to ^^meet the Lord in the air." 

^^Remember that there shall in no wise enter in- 
to it, anything that defileth, neither whatsoever work- 
eth abomination or maketh a lie: but they which are 
written in the Lamb's book of life." 

*<I, Jesus, have sent mine angel (messenger) to 
testify unto you these things in the churches."— ^Rev. 
xxii. i6. 



WHAT IS MAN, AND DOCTRINE OF ATONE-^ 
MENT? 



Pneuma (sometimes translated breath) means 
spirit, and should be so translated. In Genises ii. 7, 
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the 
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of 
life, and man became a living soul." 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 57 

It has been said that the word pneiima should be 
translated spirit and not breath, for God is a spirit 
and does not breathe breath, as man breathes. 
Breath belongs to the animal creation and breathing 
is a physiological act. God is a spirit and breathes 
spirit. The passage should then be translated thus: 
^^And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the 
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the spirit of Iffe, 
and man became a living soul." 

Here we discover that the body is composed of 
the dust, and it is also known that the body contains 
the same elements as the dust — the lime, potash, so- 
da, magnesia, iron and phosphorus. Then it is cer- 
tain that a man is a two-fold, or dual being — com- 
posed of spirit and material as above stated. 

But the soul is not the spirit; but by the union 
of the spirit and body, man became a soul. Then it 
is a creature of growth, formed by the union of spirit 
and body. But as God breathed the spirit of life he 
(man) became a living soul. Then we have the for- 
mation of man as given by Paul in I. Thessalonians 
5: 23 ^T pray that your whole spirit, soul and body, 
be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ." 

We pause here to remark, that if the popular be- 
lief is correct, Paul must have had a very vague idea 
of Christ's coming, when he prayed that the bodies 
of the Thessalonians should be preserved unto that 
event. Hence the reader can see the necessity of re- 
arranging our opinions concerning this event, as well 
as many other events. 

But back to the subject: Man is composed of a 



SS A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

body which is material, and a spirit which is immate- 
rial. It is known in chemistry, that when two ele- 
ments unite the compound which is formed is unlike- 
either element. Hence, when the two elements in 
man are united a third is formed, which is the soul. 
We cannot call it the body — we cannot call it the 
spirit. What, then, shall we call it? The spiritual 
body. Paul says, "There is a natural body and there 
is a spiritual body." When we examine the subject 
of the resurrection we shall see more light on this 
subject. Thus, we see, as a race we have God, the 
Great vSpiril, for our father, and the earth for our 
mother. Born of a heavenly father and an earthly 
mother, and by inheritance from our parents we have 
a soul, or spiritual body. But by the disobediance of 
the first of our race they lost their spiritual body. 
God disinherited them, so that they should not draw 
on his nature any more, and placed flaming swords to 
guard it, and consequently that part of the man's na- 
ture was withdrawn and death ensued. This is the 
first, which is purely a spiritual death. Except by 
faith (the evidence of things not seen) man lived 
from Adam to Moses an animal — without a living 
soul. Paul says, "Nevertheless, death reigned from 
Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned 
after the similitude of Adam's transgression." How, 
then, did death reign, if not after the similitude of 
Adam's transgression? Answer: Death reigned ev^r 
the race by inheritance. We received death at the 
hands of our father, Adam, and mother, Eve. Then, 
after God vv'ithdrew the spirit, the soul died. Hence, 
death reigned. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 59 

But it was but just that God should give man a 
law. Not that carnal man, sold under sin, could obey 
it; but as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, as a 
sure and better way. 

This brings us to the subject of the atonement, 
or plan of salvation. Now we have seen that man is 
an animal without a living soul — carnal, sold under 
sin, not subject to God's perfect lav/. Crod's law de- 
manded the death of the transgressor. The sentence 
is executed on the same day. 

You notice that man has left yet an animal or 
carnal life. God placed flaming swords around the 
sourse of life to prevent this animal life form being 
perpetual. ^-Dying, thou shalt die," Vv^as the sentence. 
God sent Moses and the law as a schoolmaster to 
bring us back to realize our lost estate. That- was 
all the law could do. That is all the law did do. The 
law condemned us, or showed us our real condition. 
This condition revealed the fact to our fathers that 
our great need was a Savior. This, God in his infi- 
nite mercy and wisdom, had already prepared, but not 
yet made manifest to the world. But God raised up 
teachers who pointed to the time with unerring cer- 
tainty when man should be brought back to his first 
estate. He brought his only Son, the very spiritual 
body or soul that man had lost, and was offered back 
to mankind free, without money and without price. 
He not only offered it back, but gave it back, with- 
out any previous condition on the part of man, but 
as a free gift; and that this free gift came upon all 
men. All lost m Adam, all gained in Christ. The 
soul or spiritual body is restored to all men. '^A 



6o A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

body hast thou prepared me" can be truthfully said 
now by every member of the family of man. 

The deed to this incorruptible inheritance is nov/ 
made and on the records of heaven. What, then, 
can God do more? Answer: Nothing. What can 
man do? Answer: Believe it, and all the work is 
done. Man gives glory to God in the highest. But 
mark you, if man does not believe it, it is just to him 
as if it were not so, and still feels his lost condition. 
We might here repeat a thousand passages of scrip- 
ture to prove this proposition. Moses and the 
prophets might be brought back to testify to the fact, 
man might pray his lifetime for salvation, might be 
baptised every day in the year — he cannot realize the 
fact that Christ has restored his soul until he believes 
it. This is to him salvation. This is to him the new 
spiritual birth. This to him is a revelation of glory. 
This to him destroys death. This to him is eternal 
life. This to him is all — he asks no more; he can 
think of nothing more; he has secured the prize, and 
that by faith in the Son of God. ^^Glory to God in 
the highest, on earth peace, good will to man." 

It may be necessary to give the reader further 
instructions. Do not go to Christ to make a new 
contract, and say I v/ill do thus and so if you will do 
so and so. ^^But the righteousness which is of faith 
speaketh on this wise, say not in thine heart who 
shall ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ 
down from above; or who shall descend into the 
deep, that is to bring Christ again from the dead. 
But what sayest it? The word is nigh thee, even in 
thy mouth and in thy heart; that is the word of faith 
which we preach." Rom. x. 6-S. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 6 I 

Believe that Christ is nigh thee; believe that 
thou canst reach out thy hand and touch the hem of 
his garment, as did the woman, and Christ will say, 
thy faith hath made thee whole. Then can we real- 
ize how a man can be born when he is old. Then can 
we unerringly realize that we are born of the Spirit 
and of the Water of Life. Then we can truly say, as 
did Peter, ^'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living 
God," and we can truly say that flesh and blood did 
not reveal it unto us. This is the rock on which 
Christ has built his church, and against which the 
gates of hades shall not prevail. Then we can truly 
say, ''Bless the Lord, oh, my soul; bless his holy 
name. 



^REWARD AND PUNISHMENT, OR LIFE AND 
DEATH. 



Upon the subject of reward and punishment the 
scriptures of truth are perfectly clear; when the mist 
and fog of pre-conceived opinions are taken out of 
the way. The whole matter can be summed up in 
these word: — Rom. vi. 23. ''For the wages of sin is 
death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Je- 
sus Christ our Lord." — Hence we see that life with all 
its concomitants is the reward, and that this is a free 
gift. — "Without money and without price." Without 
any merit upon the part of man; otherwise it would 

*NoTE— These words are not used in the New Testament in the 
plural. 



62 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

not have been a free gift. ^^But God comme'ndeth 
his love toward us, in that; while we were yet sinners, 
Christ died for us." — Rom. v. 8. And if man was 
yet in sin when the gift was bestowed, it was evident 
that it was not bestowed on account of merit. '^There- 
fore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all 
men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness 
of one the free gift came upon all men unto justifica- 
tion of life." Yet God had a perfect right to bestow 
it upon one or many, as it might please him. But it 
pleased him to bestowvthat gift upon all men, because 
all had sinned. 

But some may say, have all men accepted this 
gift? This is the question. Everything in nature re- 
lating to 'the question answers in the negative; No. 
But on the contrary, a large majority have chosen the 
t)ther, which is death. And if there can be no higher 
reward to man than life and its concomitants, there 
can be no punishment superior to death and its con- 
comitants. Here then, we have life and death. 
Hence the greatest punishment is to withhold the 
greatest blessing. Not that God through Christ with- 
holds life, but because man will not accept it and live. 

But some one is anxious to ask the question, is 
life and death parallel in duration? We answer, No. 
Because God is the author of life, and life must par- 
take of his nature. But death is not directly from 
God. It is decidedly opposed to God. ''To be car- 
nally minded is death." — Rom. viii. 6. And the car- 
nal mind is enmity against God; opposed to God in 
every particular. And hence death and its emissa- 
ries are fighting against God for universal empire. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 63 

Death came by the law, and his messengers try to en- 
force the law, knowing that the law kills. The poet 
says: ^^Death enters and there is no defense." Who 
will in the nineteenth century rise up and tell us that 
Christ is not a complete defense. The devil tells us 
and so do some of the preachers, that there is no de- 
fense. They tell us that the battle is raging furiously, 
and that death is, and will be eternally victorious. 
To all human appearances death is victorious to-day, 
but it is not to be so eternally; no, no. How are we 
to realize that it is not to be eternally so? We an- 
swer, by faith in Christ. 

While one class of theologians claim for death 
universal empire and endless duration in hre and 
brimstone, there is another class that make death ap- 
pear as a kind oiiSnvior^ that puts an end to toil and 
suffering and after death all is well. But (Note — ^^It 
is not ail of life to live, nor all of death to die." Who 
knoweth the horrors of death?) we will say once for 
all, that Christ is the only savior, and if not saved by 
faith in Christ we are not saved at all, and are, and 
will be, under the dominion of death. The whole 
matter can be summed up in a few words: 



'- Wlml miiat I do to be saved?' 



Saved from sin and death. Answer, ^^Believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." But 
some may say, and thousands do say, that there are 
some other little matters to attend to, before we are 



64 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

saved. We claim that to a Gentile that a liv- 
ing faith is the only prerequisite to salvation, ^'Seeing 
that it is one God which shall justify the circumcis- 
ion (eA;) from or out of faith, and the uncircumcision 
through faith/' that is, in faith. — Rom. iii. 30. 

The reader will bear in mind that there is a dif- 
ference in the reception of a Jew and a Gentile appli- 
cant into the kingdom of our Lord. And that is the 
reason, doubtless, that the gospel to the circumcision 
was committed unto Peter, and the gospel to the uncir- 
cumcision was committed unto Paul. See Gal. ii. 8, 

The reader will remember that on account of the 
confession that Peter made, that the keys of the king- 
dom were delivered unto him. The confession was, 
-'^Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God.'' 
Christ said unto him, ^^Thou art Petros (a stone) and 
upon this Petra (a rock) I will, build my church." 
The foundation is not Peter but Christ, as is set forth 
in this confession, "Thou art the Christ the Son of 
the living God." And Peter, faithful to his trust, did 
open the door to both Jews and Gentiles. 

Now let us notice Peter's preaching on the day 
of pentacost, for this was the first sermon under the 
new dispensation. "Then Peter said unto them, re- 
pent and be baptized every one of you in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts ii. t^^. 

Now we will call your attention to Peter's ser- 
mon at the house of Cornelius, — a Gentile — which 
was the first sermon under the new dispensation that 
was ever preached to the Gentiles. After giving a 
full and complete history of Christ, he says, "To Him 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 65 

give all the prophets witness that through His name, 
whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission 
of sins." Now, you see the difference in the two: In 
the first it was repentance and baptism, and not a 
word about faith; and in the second place, not a word 
about baptism but by faith, and that too, as witnessed 
by all the prophets. There is no doubt, but that Pe- 
ter would have preached baptism, but before he could 
speak of that^ — even while he was speaking these 
words — the Holy Spirit was given, and the circum- 
cision which believed were astonished. And Peter 
asked the question, ^^can any man forbid water?" And 
as no one forbid they were baptized Now let us 
turn to the great apostle of the Gentiles, and hear his 
own words. I Cor. i. 14-15-16-17: 

^'1 thank God that I baptized none of you, but 
Crispus and Gains; 

^^Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine 
own name. 

^^A.nd I baptized also the household of Stephan- 
as: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. 

''For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach 
the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross 
of Christ should be made of none effect. 

Why was this difference? Paul says that "Abra- 
ham received the sign of circumcision — a seal of the 
righteousness of faith which he had, yet being uncir- 
cumcised that he might be the father of all them that 
believe, though they be not circumcised, that right- 
eousness might be imputed to them also." Here you 
see that circumcision was a seal of that faith, so that 
the circumcision could be justified from, or out of 
faith, and the uncircumcision through faith. And the 



66 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

'^scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the 
heathen (Gentiles) through faith preached before the 
gospel to Abraham." — Gal. iii. 8. When a certain 
man (evidently a jew) came to Jesus and asked him^ 
"what good thing can I do that I may have eternal 
life?" Jesus said unto him, * * ^^But if thou wilt 
enter into life, keep the commandments." Thus, he 
could secure life eternal by keeping the command- 
ments. But there was another condition added, and 
another degree (degree of perfection) implied. "Je- 
sus said unto him, if thou will be perfect, go and sell 
that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt 
have treasures in heaven, and come and follow me." 
' — See Math xix. 16-21. The reader will notice this 
was under the old dispensation. The kingdom of 
heaven was at hand but not yet set up. When a Gen- 
tile woman came to Him He said, 'T am not sent but 
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He said, 
"it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast 
it to dogs." She said, "truth Lord, yet the dogs eat 
of the crumbs which fall from their masters table." 
"Jesus answered and said unto her, O, woman, great 
is thy faith! be it unto thee as thou wilt." See an ac- 
count of the centurian. Jesus said he had not found 
so great faith, no, not in Israel, as he did in this cen- 
turian (Roman). So you can see how beautifully the 
old dispensation glides into the new. 

We might say that faith was a condition of sal- 
vation to both Jew and Gentile, but the Jew was sup- 
posed to have that faith by the seal — eircumcision, 
and the Gentile was admitted through faith and was 
not supposed to have faith previously, as was the 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 67 

Jew. And is so shown in the rendering — piseysas — 
having believed. Mark xvi. i6. And the parallel 
passage in Math, says nothing about faith^ when 
Christ gave his commands to the disciple. See Math, 
xxviii. 19 

But as this is only an index, we should not at- 
tempt an argument in full, but come back to consider 
the reward. 

It has been said ^'that it is not all of life to live, 
nor all of death to die." And we may add, there is 
no higher gift than life, nor greater curse than death. 
The reader has, no doubt, been tormented day and 
night for at least a lifetime, with the thought of Gfi- 
henna^ lake of fire and brimstone, etc. So far as Ge- 
henna is. concerned, it is mentioned in the New Tes- 
tament twelve times, and is translated hell. This is 
a little valley south west of Jerusalem, and, in short, 
was used as a symbol of death and utter destruction, 
but has no reference to a place of eternal torment. 

Hades occurs eleven times in the Greek Testa- 
ment, and is translated ten times by the word hell. 
The word is equivalent to slieol of the Hebrew, and 
denotes the abode of the dead, and has no reference 
to a place of eternal punishment, but we can go no 
further back than to the Hebrew, and the Greek for 
the meaning of sheol and hades, which mean the 
abode of the dead, and hence the word hell has no 
reference to a place of eternal punishment, because 
such a state as eternal death is not mentioned in the 
scriptures of truth. 

The lake of fire and brimstone has been suppos- 
ed to be equivalent to gehenna, hades or hell. And 



6S A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

this term is defined by the best authority. Rev. xx. 
14. "And death and hell were cast into the lake of 
lire.'' This is the second death. 



THE SECOND DEATH. 



Death has two degrees or stages— a first and a 
second, (there is no third stage or degree mentioned). 
The first death cut off the communication with God, 
and was what is termed a spiritual death. This death 
man has suffered since the first transgression, even on 
the very day thou eateth thereof, thou shalt surely 
die. This is, or was, the first death, and yet the 
transgressor lived nine hundred and thirty years and 
died a second death. This first death, we are in- 
formed, came upon all men. The second, comes upon 
all who have not sought and found life in the Re- 
deemer and Savior. 

What the duration of the second death is, we are 
not informed, but we are certain it will be according 
to justice, and the degree of enmity between the 
transgressor and his Creator and Judge. But death 
itself is to be destroyed. That is the last enemy. 
Others who were cast into the lake — the second death 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 69 

—were to have their part, and death itself and all en- 
emies which cannot be reconciled to the righteous 
government of God and his Christ are to be totally 
destroyed, so that life only can be perpetuated, and 
that through the redeeming power of Christ's reign. 
For He must reign until He subdues all things to 
Cod. And may God, who only hath immortality 
dwelling in the light, give all who overcome the evil, 
the new name written, which no one knoweth, only he 
who receiveth it, and save all who read and strive to 
understand, from the second death. 

But some may be ready to ask this question: if 
life eternal is a free gift, why do we, and why must 
we so earnestly contend for it? Will answer by a 
comparison: Our bodies are a free gift to us, and 
diseases are our enemies and we work dilligently (per- 
haps to excess) to keep free from these enemies; so 
in our spiritual existence, we have enemies that are 
continually seeking our destruction and death. How 
important then, that we should earnestly contend for 
the faith. If God through Christ has given us such 
a treasure, how important that we should hold it 
through the dark valley and shadow of death. To 
the righteous (those who have kept the faith) it is only 
a shadow of death. (Note — The righteous are al- 
ways represented as being asleep.) But to the un- 
righteous (unfaithful) what human mind can grasp 
the reality. Oh, God, save thy poor servants from 
the second death. Christ says, and in Him v/e should 
have full confidence. "He that hath an ear let him 
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; he that 
overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." 



70 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

WHAT IS THE CHURCH? 



The church is represented in the Scriptures as a 
body or building, and has a foundation, ^'the apostles 
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief 
corner-stone," and is represented as a body — the 
body of Christ ^^and members in particular." As has 
been stated elsewhere in this work, that man has a 
fleshy body, and a spiritual body, the same may be 
said of the church. It has a fleshy or material body, 
and a spiritual body. This spiritual body, as man's 
spiritual body, is a matter of growth. Proof: ^Tn 
whom (Christ) all the building fitly framicd together 
groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye 
are builded together for a habitation of God through 
the spirit." — Eph. ii. 21-22. 

And as the spiritual body is in and around the 
man, so the spiritual body of the church is in and 
around the visible church. And whether visible or 
invisible, this is Christ's body and is, on this side of 
the grave as well as on the other, God's dwelling place. 
In this sense it is the house of God or church of 
Christ, and this church dispersed as it is over the 
earth in sectional local bodies, are properly called the 
churches of Christ, and as they are ^^united by one 
spirit" they may properly be called the churches of 
Christ in Christian or spiritual union. 

But some may say, why is the one spiritual body 
called God's house or house of God, or church of God, 
and the local churches called churches of Christ? 
We answer emphatically that because, the God of 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 7 I 

heaven is the Christ of earth. (^^God manifest in the 
flesh.") And in these churches non-essential forms 
and ceremonies will be discarded, and purity and ho- 
liness the "watch-word," as herein summarized: 

First. — The spiritual unity of the churches of 
Christ. 

Second.- — Christ the only head, apostle and 
high-priest of our profession. 

Third, — The Bible the written rule of faith and 
practice, subordinate to the Holy Spirit. 

Fourth. — '^^Good fruits" or Christian character 
the only condition of fellowship. 

Fifth. — The right of private opinion a privilege, 
and Christian Union without controversy, the duty of 
all. 

Sixth. — Each local church invested v/ith its own 
government. 

Seventh. — Political and non-essential controversy 
discountenanced. 

The officers of the church. Each local church 
should have the following officers, namely: 

First and next to Christ, the great head, apostle, 
and high priest, stands the messenger (angel). He 
is under Christ, the spiritual guardian and minister 
in charge. These officers appear to have taken the 
place of the apostles, as the apostles have become a 
part of the foundation on v/hich the church is built, 
^'Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." 

Evangelists are traveling messengers (angels). 

Second. — Bishops. These are the overseers and 
are to look after the welfare of the church in their 
locality. There should be two or more in each 
church. 



72 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

Third. — Deacons. These are the assistants of 
the bishops and general officers of the church. There 
should be a number sufficient for their work. These 
(bishops and deacons) constitute the Presbytery or 
elders of the church. 

These are our individual views, and no church 
is responsible for them. 

In another part of the work we have shown that 
there can not be another great ecclesiastical body 
formed as they can not be ^ffitly framed together." 
The union of creeds cannot be accomplished, at least, 
that is the history of all the creed orders down to the 
present. 

Would further say, that we believe, according to 
the written word, that the churches of Christ in 
Christian Union will come square down on the foun- 
dation of the apostles and prophets, and according to 
the plumb line of the Holy Spirit, come exactly under 
the ^^head of the corner." 

•'Then shall true converts crowd tt^y gates, 
Press to the gospel sound." 

This was the primitive simplicity of the church. 
But we understand that it is to be progressive. When 
fitly framed together, it is to grow into a holy sanctu- 
ary in the Lord. At first it is represented as a build- 
ing or house, and as she progresses, becomes a city — 
the New Jerusalem — which the Revelator saw ^'coming 
down out of heaven from God" adorned as a bride 
for her husband. This holy city had twelve gates, 
and at each gate an angel (messenger). And those 
v/ho enter this holy sanctuary are to be made pillars 
in the sanctuary (see revised version) of my God and 
he shall go out thence no more, and I will wTite upon 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 73 

him the name of my God, and the name of the city 
of my God, the New Jerusalem which com^th down 
out of heaven from my God, and my own New Name. 



INSPIRATION. 



Inspiration in a theological sense is defined as ^^a 
supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apos- 
tles, or sacred writers by which they were qualified to 
communicate moral or religious truth with authority; 
a miraculous influence which qualifies men to receive 
and communicate divine truth." — Webster. 

Without entering upon a lengthly discussion of 
the subject, we will state briefly ^Hhat there is a spirit 
in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth 
them understanding." Job. xxxii. 8. 

(jal. i. II-I2, Paul says: ^^I certify you brethren, 
that the gospel which was preached of me, is not af- 
ter men: for I neither received it of man, neither was 
I taught it, but by the Revelator of Jesus Christ." 



74 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

It is plain that Christ by Revelation revealed the 
gospel to the apostle Paul. And all ^^scripture given 
by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine," etc. 
But ^^that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but 
by the Holy Spirit." The written word is profitable 
for doctrine, reproof, etc.; but to be 'thoroughly 
furnished," he must be a man of God, and to be a 
man of God, he must necessarily have the inspiration 
of the Holy Spirit. There was a time when there 
were but few men inspired; but since the day of Pen- 
tacost there have been many. And any and every 
man who receives the Holy Spirit is inspired; — pos- 
sibly one not so much as another, but all to some de- 
gree, so that to be inspired is to receive the Holy 
Spirit, — but the manifestation of the spirit may differ 
in different individuals. 

It is certain that it is not out of the province of God 
to raise up a prophet, if he has a future Revelation to 
make to man, but it is reasonable to suppose that the 
revelation to man is complete and consequently no 
prophet is necessary. But in a more modern use of 
the term prophet, it was by the primitive Christians 
applied to those who were preachers of the gospel. 
Now, as to the inspiration of those persons there can 
be no doubt. But too many try to preach from the 
latter and have not the least inspiration of the Spirit; 
— "have the form, but deny the power." ^^ From such 
^wr/i a?/;ai/."' _ And even some deny such inspiration 
totidem verbis. But to deny the inspiration of the 
Spirit to God's people, would be equal to denying the 
great essential truths of the Revelation of God through 
Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 75 

APOSTLES, POSSIBLY MESSENGERS, AS SUC- 
CESSORS. 



It appears that in order to be an apostle that it 
was necessary to have seen our Lord Jesus Christ in 
person. Mathias did see him, and on this account 
was chosen as a witness of the personality and resur- 
rection of Christ and '^was numbered with the eleven." 
And last of all, the great apostle of the Gentiles, Paul 
says: "And last of all, He (Christ) was seen of me 
also, as one born out of due time." It does not ap- 
pear that the apostles ever did appoint any successors. 
And as a personal witness was necessary, this could 
not be done. But instead of the apostle there ap- 
pears to be another officer to take his place — that of 
angel or messenger. '-The seven stars are the angels 
(messengers) of tne seven churches." Unto the mes- 
senger of the church of Ephesus write: '^These things 
sayeth He that holdeth the seven stars (seven mes- 
sengers) in his right hand," etc. These words in pa- 
renthesis are the proper translations of the term angel 
in the text. "And thou hast tried them which say 
they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them 
liars." It is possible that these messengers never 
saw a true apostle unless it was John the Revelator 
and this is doubtful as John was in Patmos and they 
in Asia. At all events we have these officers who 
were directly under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 
See Rev. chapter 2d and 3d. 



76 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

THEOLOGY. 



Theology is defined to be the science of God 
and His relations to His creatures; the science 
which treats of the existence, character, and attrib- 
utes of God, — His laws and government; the doc- 
trines we are to believe, and the duties we are to 
practice. 

God is a spirit of whom we know but little, ex- 
cept by His works, as we have seen them in nature, 
and by the revelations He has made to us through 
the patriarchs, prophets and teachers, and last of all, 
through His Son our Redeemer, great higli Priest, 
Prophet, King and only Savior, and by inspired teach- 
ers, who have been under Him, sent out to instruct 
the world, and by the Holy Spirit. We find that His 
works in nature are in perfect harmony; — '^all good, 
and very good." 

Now% certainly He does not make to us a reve- 
lation in any point or way conflicting with what we 
have learned of His w^orks, as we have seen them ex- 
hibited to us in nature. But we are dull of compre- 
hension, and have not fully understood His revela- 
tion. We have misconstrued it, and made it conflict 
with what we have seen. Our forefathers have at- 
tempted to translate this revelation into our mother- 
tongue, and have frequently made it to conform to 
their notions, instead of giving the original words 
their true primary or proper signi^cation. Yet, while 
this may have been the best translation that' could 
have been given at the time, knowledge of science 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL' TRUTH. 77 

has so increased that our ministers and interpreters 
should have a knowledge of science as well as a 
knowledge of the original language in which, at least, 
the New Testament was written. 

Old forms have been in our w^ay. We have at- 
tempted to conform to the old, regardless of the new, 
when the Revelator has said, ''^Behold, I make all 
things new." We have said by our acts we will hold 
on to the old, because we do not understand the new. 
and while these teachers have been trying to reveal 
to us this new state of things, we have closed our 
eyes and ears^ and said, '^hitherto and no further." We 
have hitherto misunderstood our instructors, not wil- 
fully on our part, but because w^e have been led to 
believe or assent that there was nothing more to be 
learned from Christ's revelation to man. 

God is the father of every living soul, because living 
soul cannot exist without the spirit of life from God. 

God has form: — has eyes, ears, mouth, arms, 
hands, etc., and as before said, a perfect form. Ref- 
erence will only be given to start the reader in right 
direction. "The eyes of the Lord are upon the right- 
eous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The face 
of the Lord is against them that do evil." — Psalms 
xxxiv. 15-16. ^^ Humble yourselves under thf mighty 
hand of God." — I Peter v. 6. ^^The mouth of the 
Lord hath spoken it." 

And in that form God created man, and in that 
form composed of earth, He breathed the spirit of life, 
and that form became a ViYing soul. This soul then has 
form. If we should now analyze man, w^e shall find 
that he has an osseous or bony form, a muscular form, 



78 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

a venos and arterial form, and in and through these 
forms, another more important form, which is the nerv- 
ous form, and next, more beautiful and perfect, — a 
spiritual form or soul. All these forms excepting the 
last are dead matter, except as they are animated by 
the spiritual form, whose habitation is in these forms 
of matter. This spiritual form or soul is really the 
true man, and is the moving, thinking, seeing, feeling, 
hearing and living form. This is the heavenly form; 
this is the image of its God; this is the image man 
lost; this is the image Christ the Redeemer brought 
back to man. This is the image that live in the be- 
liever, through the atonement of Christ. This is the 
image that must and does suffer the penalties of sin. 
And when the other forms have served for a habita- 
tion a while, the true man steps out and leaves his 
earthly image to return to his mother, and the true 
man returns to his father, who is God, — his Creator, 
Redeemer and Savior. 

Now the soul returns to receive the reward for 
the deeds done— and that according to the award of 
the judgment Avhich has just closed with him. The 
judgment is when we are yet in the body. Without 
this judgment one would pass the gates of death as 
the other, and here is when judgment takes effect^ 
and although man has been in the judgment all his 
life, this closes it with him. Here, he faces the last 
enemy. And here to the righteous all the powers of 
heaven are pledged to his support, in this, the last act 
of his earthly existence. ^^Be thou faithful unto deaths 
and I will give thee a crown of life." "Blessed are 
the dead v/ho die in the Lord, from- henceforth, yea^ 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TR'UTH. 79 

saith the spirit, they shall rest from their labors, and 
their works do follow them." ^^Blessed and holy is he 
that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the 
second death hath no power." This life and resur- 
rection we secure in this state of being, through Je- 
sus Christ our Lord, Redeemer and Savior. "Who- 
soever liveth and believeth in me," says the Savior, 
'^shall never die." "Verily, verily, I say unto you if 
a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death." 

But those who have never accepted Salvation, 
are those who are out of Christ. They are guilty of 
sin, through unbelief, and sin brings death. They 
have not had life renewed, — have not been regenera- 
ted. Here is the point of separation; — here the un- 
righteous goes down into death. He has been un- 
faithful and disobedient and now is left to his own 
strength. How long shall death hold him we are not 
informed, but are assured that it will be according to 
the righteous judgment which at this point awards 
him death, as the wages of his transgression. The 
effects of the judgment are now realized. The right- 
eous are to shine forth as the Sun in the kingdom of 
their father, and the wicked are to be raised from 
death, to shame and aioonio:i contempt. We say 
aloonion contempt, because there is no corresponding 
English word for aioonion. But death itself shall be 
destroyed and all the human family raised to life, 
"but everyone in his own order." But some may say 
that men cannot be judged until all die. That certain 
noted infidels cannot receive their just dues until all 
the witnesses are in court. Does not the Judge al- 
ready know? Will he go and inquire of David Hume 



So A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

and Voltaire, what were your motives? If we were 
permitted to have an interview with Hume, Votaire 
& Co., they would perhaps say, we v/ere actuated by 
a personal selfish matter — human ambition, and if 
they should now say in truth, that we believe fully in 
Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, and feel that 
our souls have been touched by his spirit of love and 
mercy, would we not feel like extending the right 
hand of fellowship? We could truthfully say you 
have done great harm, and suppose you have re- 
ceived justice for your crimes (Note — There is no 
evidence that any person will be given a hearing 
in the post-mortem state unless it is in this language: 
'^Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before 
to judgment, and some follow after." But the effects 
of judgment are seen in all the broad expanse of the 
spiritual world.) But how about the man who in 
sheeps clothing has been doing* the work of a wolf, — 
the hypocrite? Poor human imagination cannot reach 
him, he is bad at heart, and we can only turn him ov- 
er into the hands of his Creator and Judge. 

The judgment is a purifying process. Isaiah i. 
27: ^^Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her 
converts with righteousness." (Note — Isaiah xxvi. 9: 
^'For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhab- 
itants of the world will learn righteousness." Sin 
brings punishment and death, as naturally and scien- 
tifically as much rain brings high waters. This judg- 
ment is reformatory in its character, and not for the 
pleasure of the Judge. There is not a righteous 
Judge of the courts that would give a judgment for 
his own pleasure, but to vindicate the law, and pr o 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 8 1 

mote justice.) Every member of the human family 
has a part in it. It is national as well as individual. 
Judges of the courts participate largely in this judg- 
ment, and in turn are judged — ^condemned or approv- 
ed. Attorneys, ministers, individuals and nations are 
instruments in this judgment. In fact, the judgment 
is sweeping over the land as a mighty whirlwind. 
This is the same judgment that Peter said should ^e- 
gin at the house of God, in Jerusalem, and was so 
fearfully held over the Jewish nation for three years 
and a half, that they cried out for rocks and moun- 
tains to fall upon them. And even the Kings of the 
earth hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of 
the mountains. And the same mighty judgment v/as 
held over Rome for near three hundred years, as a 
hail storm, so that Rome looked like ^'Mystery Bab- 
ylon." See Rev. i6, and also 17 and 18. 

This judgment in scripture is called the great 
day, and was so recognized by inspired writers. And 
as a purifying process becomes less severe, as there 
was to be none equally severe, as that brought upon 
the Jews and Romans. And here we will call the 
reader's attention to one passage of scripture that 
seems to shock the Christian world, and that is found 
in Rev. xiv. 10: ^^And he shall be tormented with fire 
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and 
in the presence of the Lamb." Some have vainly im- 
agined that this scene is in the state of being after death. 
Now let us go back and take a few notes. Christ 
had promised his followers that He would come back 
in that generation to establish a kingdom and a 
judgment, and that he would bring the holy angels 



82 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT • 

with him. Now we shall begin to notice these signs 
that he said should come. We see the abomination 
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy 
place. The beast Rome now appears upon the scene. 
He bears the marks of the same fourth kingdom that 
Daniel saw: his heads, horns and all bear his mark. 
It was given him to make war with the saints. The 
dragon Jewish power gave him his seat. He doeth 
great wonders, etc., and deceiveth them that dwell 
upon the earth. He is taken away and comes again^ 
and is spoken of as another; — not the one that received 
a wound by a sword and did live. He exercises all 
the power of the first beast, (see Roman history) and 
this beast under another ruler caused all, both small 
and great, rich and poor, free and bond to receive a 
mark in their right hand or in their foreheads, and 
that no man might buy or sell, save he who had the 
mark. This was simply a war measure to secure de- 
serters and others to join the Roman army which 
was now in camp around Jerusalem. x\nd now every 
man was for saving his life. And upon this state of 
things the Revelator was advised to write the language 
quoted above. Now, who was this that was to be 
tormented before the angels and the Lamb? Answer: 
Any man who v/orships the beast or his image and 
receives his mark in his forehead or in his hand, ^'the 
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God 
which is poured out without mixture" (upon Jews 
and Romans). In short, the man who would desert 
his cause as a Christian should be a partaker of the 
punishment which was poured out upon the Roman 
Empire and the Jewish nation, without mixture. Of 



1 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. S;^ ^ 

course he should receive the same fate as the nation 
he might join. There is nothing more plain and lit- 
eral, and how men can get these things transferred to 
the post-mortem state or spiritual world we cannot 
see. Reader, please turn and read chapters 13 and 
14 of Revelation. 

Certainly, that was in this state of being. Histo- 
ry shows it. 

My dear reader, look around you and see if you 
are not held individually responsible now. The time 
has come when your deeds must come to light. Un- 
derstand at once that your sins will find you out. 
The effect of the judgment will be to sink the doc-, 
trine of infidels lower and lower in the estimation of 
all heaven and earth, and consequently their works 
shall be burned, but they themselves saved yet as by 
fire. ^^For our God is a consuming fire." — Heb. xii. 
29. Dear reader, remember that judgment slumber- 
eth not." That judgment is now trying your works. 

The spiritual world is one, since Christ hath abol- 
ished death, and brought life and immortality to 
light. There is no gulf now between the sinner and 
his Savior but unbelief. The rich man could not 
pass, because the bars of death had not yet been 
broken. Now the spiritual world is near us. That 
spiritual world is heaven. Satan does not rule there; 
he has been cast out into the earth, because he is of 
the earth. We cannot see the spiritual world because 
our spiritual eyes are beclouded with earthy forms. 
But some have been caught up to the third heaven, 
and heard words which were unlawful to utter. For 
anywhere in the spiritual world is heaven in the first 



84 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

degree, or in the second or third degree. The apos- 
tle says, ^^our conversation is in heaven, from whence 
we look for the Savior." Men in a state we call 
trance, when the soul leaves the body for awhile, have 
gone out into that spiritual world, and the inhabitants 
of that world have occasionally come back to this, 
and have been seen and recognized. But as a rule, 
the immortal spiritual body is invisible to us. But 
in the spiritual world we shall see them in form as in 
this, and identical as with their own natural bodies, 
endowed with unclouded reason, with eyes, ears, and 
all the organs of sensation they had in this world. 
The impressions and memories they had in this world 
still with them, because upon them these impressions 
were made. Our fleshy bodies revert to them through 
our spiritual senses. Shall we talk, see and feel there? 
Certainly, because our spiritual body is the one that 
talks, sings and feels in this life. Math. x. 20: ^^For 
it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your father 
which speaketh in yoii." And certainly none of 
these senses will be taken away, when the soul is un- 
trammeled with the body of this death. Our mortal 
bodies are bodies of death. The spiritual organiza- 
tion moves it, does its seeing, hearing, feeling, etc. 
Shall we know our friends there? Certainly, for we 
shall lose nothing but sin and death. 

Of what we have been speaking is exhibited in 
nature and revelation. We cannot see the whirlwind 
until it accumulates a body of rubbish, as dust, straw, 
etc., and we can see its motion while it has this body. 
But when it loses its material body of dust, still it 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 85 

moves a mighty, potent force, invisible to the human 
eye. 

We have been speaking of God as seen in nature 
and revelation in the plainest possible manner. Now 
we will speak of our duty to him. 

While we may each have a particular duty, we all 
have a general duty which is common to all the human 
family. Math. vii. 12: ^"All things, therefore, what- 
soever ye would that men should do unto you, even 
so do ye also unto them; for this is the law and 
the prophets." While we do our duty to our fellow- 
man, we honor our God in the highest sense. Our 
highest sense of duty to our Creator, Redeemer and 
Savior, is to honor and glorify him, and worship him 
in spirit and in truth; — not with lip service only, but 
in spirit and in truth. Even a cup of cold water giv- 
en unto one of these little ones, m the name of a dis- 
ciple, shall in no wise lose his reward. Our duty to 
God, ourselves, and our fellowman is to try to make 
ovrselves better, to better our condition, and help 
those around us, and not to ask God as some do, to 
do those things we should do ourselves. To illus- 
trate — Not to ask God to give them food and cloth- 
ing, while we have the means and opportunities to do 
the very things we ask Him to do. But we should 
faithfully ask Him to do for us and them, what we 
cannot do. And even if we ask Him to make them 
better, we should be ready as instruments in His 
hands to assist in every way possible. Remember 
Christ has said, -'Inasmuch as you have done unto 
the least of these my brethren, ye have done unto 
me." Math, xxv, 40. 



86 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

INDEX TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 



This book is well guarded, and certainly no one 
for any consideration whatever, v/ould add a word or 
take away a letter from its sacred pages. The fol- 
lowing is a synopsis of the doctrine of the Revelation 
of Jesus Christ as written by his servant John and 
sent to the seven churches of Asia, and which should 
be to us, the most authentic and valuable book of 
God, and Revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Chapter i. Introduction and explanations. 

Chapters 2 and 3. Epistles to the seven church- 
es of Asia. 

Chapter 4. A view of God's throne and do- 
minion established among the nations of the earthy 
or kingdom of God set up among men. 

Chapter 5. The sealed book — God's will to 
man — Christ opens it- — All heaven rejoices, — ^^But 
thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, 
even, to the time of the end: many shall run to and 
fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. xii. 4, 
^^But now, once in the end of the world (or age) hath 
He (Christ) appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice 
of Himself." Heb. ix. 26. 

Chapters 6, 7 and 8. The seals opened — The 
Revelation of Jesus Christ opened. — The trumpets of 
the gospel begin to sound. Note — This Revelation 
includes all his revelation, as John was directed to 
^^write the things which thou hast seen, and the 
things v/hich are, and the things which shall be here- 
after." John was one of the first apostles chosen and 
Christ said to Peter: "If I will that he tarry till I 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 87 

come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." John 
xxi. 22. John says that he was the disciple who 
wrote these things^ and "we know his testimony is 
true." 

Chapters 9 and 10, The trumpet of the gospel 
still sounding — The bottomless pit or abyss opened — 
Sin and wickedness of Rome brought to light by the 
gospel — The destroying angel (Roman army) ascends 
out of the pit — The books fully opened. — The angel 
declares that time or delay^ shall be no longer, than 
until the seventh angel should sound. Now a new 
state of things begins to appear; the contents of the 
sealed book has been revealed as shown in chapter 
1 1, and now an open book in the hand of the angel is 
given to the Revelator with instructions to eat and di- 
gest it, and then prophesy again. This would indi- 
cate that what remains of the book of Revelation 
commencing at chapter 12^ is the contents of the lit- 
tle open book, and of course of a later date. So we 
must conclude that the contents of the open book 
has been declared in the history of the nations as 
given by the Revelator in chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 
17 and 18. 

Chapter ii. This is the closing scene of the 
contents of the sealed book. Verse 15: '^Aiid the 
seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in 
heaven saying, the kingdoms of this world are become 
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he 
shall reign forever and ever." "The nations were 
angry, (why? because) thy wrath is come and the time 
of the dead, that they should be judged, and that 
shouldest give reward to thy servants the prophets. 



88 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

and to the saints, and them that fear thy name small 
and great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy 
the earth, and the temple of God was open in heav- 
en," etc. Then the kingdom of our Lord is set up. 
— The temple (old Jewish temple) measured or laid 
out for destruction — The two witnesses, Jewish and 
Gentile churches. See Rom. ii — The seventh angel 
sounds and the kingdoms of this world becomes the 
kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and He shall 
reign forever and forever — Judgment begins — The 
nations angry. 

Chapter 12. The woman clothed with the sun, 
the infant church of Christ- — The twelve stars^ twelve 
apostles. — The great red dragon, Roman and Jewish 
power, like Herod did, persecutes the church and 
tries to destroy her seed. — The church flees from per- 
secution into the wilderness. See Tacitus, vol. 2, 
page 276. — War in heaven, (heaven is where God 
manifests Himself) — Michael overcomes the dragon 
(Jewish power) — Dragon cast out — Jewish power cur- 
tailed — The dragon (Jewish power) makes war with 
all who keep the commandments of God. (All histo- 
ry, sacred and profane, confirms this statement). 

This must be the beginning of the new state of 
things, or the contents of the little open book. And 
possibly we can see why it should be sweet in the be- 
ginning and bitter in the end. 

The woman clothed with the sun is the symbol 
of the infant church which, no doubt, was sweet to 
the Revelator as honey but what follows must have 
been bitter. All the histories^ sacred and profane, 
have not given us a more graphic description of the 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 89 

trials and suffering of the church, and wars and com- 
motions among the nations, as is here given in chap- 
ters 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. 

Chapter 13. The dragon (Jewish Power) and 
beast (Roman power) opposes the church — The beast 
arises (Roman power or Nero) — Herod gives him his 
seat or Jewish power or dragon power turned over 
to the beast (Rome). — The people w^orship both 
earthly powers (the beast Rome, and dragon, Jewish) 
and blaspheme God — They make war with the saints 
— Another beast with two horns. — Vespasion, Nero's 
general and his two son's. Note — Sacred history 
recognizes ten horns or emperors of Rome as follows: 
Augustus, i; Tiberius, 2; Calligula, 3, Claudius, 4; 
Nero, 5; Galbia, 6; Otho, 7; Vespasian, 8; Titus, 9; 
Domitian, 10. The ten horns, see further explana- 
tion on another page. — Titus and Domitian does 
what Nero did, deceives people; tells them to make 
an image of the first beast. History tells us that Vespa- 
sian did pretend to perform miracles. Tacitus, vol. 
2, page 259. And about this time while Vespasian 
was acting general of Nero and prosecuting the war 
in Judea and against Jerusalem, Nero kills himself 
with a sword. And now civil war reigns in Rome for 
about one year, and finally it was rumored that Nero 
was still alive. ^^The fame of this pretended Nero 
gained strength every day, when by a sudden acci- 
dent the delusion vanished," etc. See Tacitus, vol. 
2, page 74. This is why the beast was said to have 
received a wound by a sword and did live. So that 
the dead Nero was truly only an image of the beast. 
^^Let him that hath wisdom count the number of the 
beast." 



90 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

Chapter 14. The triumphs of the gospel — 
Christ stands with his church — They have a secret 
song. — The angel with the everlasting gospel — Baby- 
lon is fallen. Perhaps Rome is here alluded to as 
she was like Babylon, doomed to destruction as well 
as Jerusalem. The reader must remember that w^hile 
this vv^as going on against the Jews that there was a 
civil war at Rome for about one year: Otho against 
Vitillius about three months, and then Vespasian 
against Vitillius about nine months. One who would 
fully understand the book of Revelation must under- 
stand the history of the times. 

Chapter 15. Woe, woe, to the inhabitants of 
the earth, would be a proper comment on chapters 15, 
16 and 17. — God's judgment seen in the earth. — Al- 
most the entire world now involved in war. 

Chapter 16. Three unclean spirits come out, 
(perhaps driven out of the beast Rome, and out of 
the dragon Jewish power and false prophet). Those 
who say they are Jews and are not, are a mixed pow- 
er who advocate the claims of the beast, or in other 
words, spirits of devils working miracles. 

Chapter 17. God's judgment poured out upon 
the Harlot Rome — She is a mystery, etc. — On this 
chapter the reader may require some explanation. 
First, it was Rome because she vv^as a mystery and 
^'diverse from all nations." We wtII take the angel's 
explanation, verse 7: ^T will tell thee the mystery of 
the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which 
hath the seven heads and ten horns." ^'She was and 
is not." When Nero reigned she focts — was then a bel- 
ligerent wild beast, but when peace was restored she 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 9I 

was not the same beast she was before, hence, ^^she 
was and is not." 

Verse 10: ^'There are seven kings; five are 
fallen: Augustus, i; Tiberius, 2; Colligula, 3; Clau- 
dius, 4: Nero, 5, are the ones that had fallen; ^^one 
is" — Galbia, 6. Then there was a contest between 
Otho and Vitillius. Otho succeed to the throne and 
reigned but three months. This is the '^short space." 
And now comes the eighth which was Vespasian and 
as he had been Nero's general and w^as at that time 
carrying on the war against the Jews, and was the 
eighth and of the seven. And then the Revelator 
looks through a flight of time and sees the ten pow- 
ers that should complete the destruction of Rome. 
You notice that these ten horns were not kings, but 
received power as kings one hour (short time). You 
notice in verse 16 that these ten powers were to hate 
the whore (Rome), for '^God hath put it into their 
hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree." The reader 
must bear in mind that this part of the book of Rev- 
elation was a prophecy and was not yet fulfilled and 
the ten powers which destn3yed Rome did not rise 
up until about the reign of Constantine who reigned 
from A. D. 343 to 381. From about this time the 
empire began to decline, and in chapter 18 we have 
the prophecy of her complete overthrow and destruc- 
tion, and no historian has ever described it with more 
precision on a single page. 

The reader will remember that it took Rome 
three hundred years to die. And while this righteous 
judgment of God was poured out upon Rome and Je- 
rusalem the saints rejoiced. This brings us to chap- 



92 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

ter 19. Verse sixth is a comment on this chapter: 
'^And I heard as it were, the voice of a great multi- 
tude and as the voice of many waters, and as the 
voiceof mighty thunderings, saying, ^ZZeZwia; for the 
Lord God omnipotent 7'eigneth^'' 

Verse 7: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give 
honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, 
and his wife hath made herself ready." 

This brings us to chapter 20. This is a prophe- 
cy of the progress of the church commencing in the 
days of the dragon and beast. The reader will no- 
tice that the dragon and beast were in the lake of fire 
and brimstone (the second death) before the devil who 
deceived them was cast in, where they shall be tor- 
mented day and night, for ever and ever, or for the 
ages of the ages. This last clause we offer only as 
a marginal reading. And now the books were opened 
and judgment begins, and another book which is the 
book of life. No one will contend that this book of 
life is not yet opened. No, my dear reader, the books 
are all opened; the book of life also, and your name 
is written there; but your-name may be blotted out. 
Perhaps you do not believe it is there; and perhaps you 
have not tried to overcome this unbelief. Remember 
that your Savior has caused your name written there, 
and says to you, "He that overcometh, the same 
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot 
his name out of the book of life, but I will con- 
fess his name before my Father, and before his an- 
gels." — Rev. iii. 5. 

The Revelator after having gone through the 
prereeding part of the Revelation of Tesus Christ he 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 93 

sees the infant church begin to arise out of Judaism 
and like the good father of the prodigal, goes to meet 
his Son. So our great Redeemer with all the power 
of God comes to meet His church, (Paul expected to 
meet the Lord in the air) which the Revelator ex- 
presses thus: 

Chapter 21, ^^And I saw a new heaven and a 
new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth have 
passed away and there was no more sea." Heaven 
is where God's visible manifestations appear. This, 
the first heaven, (the Jewish dispensation was the 
first in order) then the Christian dispensation or day 
of Christ followed it. This dispensation was then the 
second heavem This heaven was certainly established 
by our Savior; and former things including heavenly 
things and earthly things had passed away, Jewish 
and Gentile worship. 

We can be very certain that he did not speak of 
a material heaven or a material earth, when he said 
they should pass away. 

Then he evidently referred to the former things 
in which God had manifested himself, and not only 
to the Jewish people but to the Gentile nations also, 
who together included the earth. Now we ask where 
is this? Let verse third answer this question. ^^I 
heard a voice out of heaven saying, behold, the taber 
nacleof Godis with men," ^'With men" settles the 
question in regaid to the ^new heaven and new earth. '^ 

The remaining part of the chapter is highly fig- 
urative. But suffice it to say it is the city of our 
God, the- New Jerusalem, which John saw '^coming,'' 
showing that its descent is gradual as well as the 



94 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

gradual elevation of his church, but they meet and 
whenever they meet is the habitation of men, and 
the tabernacle of God. 

About the third heaven we know but little. Paul 
was caught up to that heaven and heard unspeak- 
able words. And further, we have the best evidence 
that it is like this, a conscious state of existence; so 
much so, that Paul did not realize any change in his 
existence; — did not know whether he was in the body 
or out of the body. Did not realize that he had 
passed the gates of death, when he had entered the 
highest state of existence in the spiritual world. 

We mention this to show that we have passed 
from the first heaven to the new heaven, which, ac- 
cording to number, time, and order is the second 
heaven. God from the third heaven has met us 
in the second, which is among men. Then we can 
truthfully say, ^^behold, the tabernacle of God is with 
men." 

*^And there was no more sea." Symbolically 
waters signify people, and the gathering together of 
waters is termed a sea. So the gathering together of 
people is termed a sea. An ecclesiastical body, or a 
political body is termed a sea. This would indicate 
that these large ecclesiastical bodies as the Jews, 
should be no more, nor large ecclesiastical bodies of 
christians, which cannot be framed together, cannot 
have a place in this great building, the house of God. 
To prove that this interpretation is correct, we go back 
to chapter iv. and verse 6. The Revelator saw before 
the throne of God a sea, some great ecclesiastical 
power. In chapter xv. verse 2, he saw the same sea 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 95 

''mingled with fire," '-'and them that had gotten the 
victory over the beast and, over his image, and 
over his mark, and over the number of his name, 
stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." 
This sea then must have been that great Jewish as- 
sembly or ecclesiastical body. And we may infer 
from this that there will never be another great ec- 
clesiastical body recognized in the reign of Christ, or 
in the new dispensation or in the second heaven or in 
the tabernacle of God. And history shows that large 
national ecclesiastical bodies cannot be fitly framed 
or formed by men. Church division is the rule, and 
union of creeds the exception. But the new church 
will be composed of united local churches, and that 
those churches must not have the mark of the beast 
about them. The body must be Christ's, as Christ 
is the head of the church. And this great union will 
not be an ecclesiastical union, but a true spiritual un- 
ion of Christ's churches. This is the only one church 
that can be established. '"There was no more sea." 
Revelation teaches it and the history of the times 
teaches it. 

Chapter 22. This river has been spoken of by 
many inspired writers. "There is a river, the streams 
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the Holy 
place of the tabernacle of the Most High." — Psalm 
xlvi. 4. 'Tn that day there shall be a fountain opened 
to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jeru- 
salem for sin and uncleanness." — Zee. xiii. i. Verse 
2: The sense of the passage in the original is, "In the 
midst of the breadth or broad place (Plateia fern. oj. 
Platys) of the river, and on either side there was the 



g6 A MESSENGER OF LIGHT 

tree of life^ which bear twelve fruits, each according 
to the month, and the leaves of the tree for the heal- 
ing of the nations." We do not offer this as a sub- 
stitute for the text, but as an explanation. The text, 
however, shows that the river and the tree of life are 
where men need healing. Certainly not in the pure 
spiritual state where poor sickly men cannot reach it. 
And then there shall be no more curse; but the 
throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and 
His servants shall serve Him, and they shall see His 
face. (Of course it requires a high state of spiritual- 
ity to see Him. Stephen ^^full of the Holy Spirit 
looked up steadfastly in heaven, and saw the glory of 
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.") 
And his name shall be on their Metoopon, Grove 
says from Meta- — between, oops the eye, the forehead, 
front, face; the prow of a ship; the front of a line of 
battle. History shows that the name of Jesus Christ 
has been on the front line of battle, from 
the earliest days of Christianity, excepting 
those pretenders who had denied His name. The 
remaining portion of the chapter is too plain to re- 
quire any comment. But we will call the reader's at- 
tention to verses lo and ii: ^^And He^sayeth unto 
me, seal not the words of the prophecy of this book, 
for the time is at hand." No time left now for 
cleansing. ^^He that is unjust let him be unjust still, 
and he that is filthy let him be filthy still," etc. The 
old dispensation passed away, and the new heaven at 
hand even at the door. ^'And behold, I come quickly, 
and my reward is with me to give every man accord- 
ing as his works shall be." '^\nd he said unto me it 



AND INDEX TO GOSPEL TRUTH. 97 

is done." Peter says, ^^the day of the Lord will come 
as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall 
pass away with a great noise. "^ * Looking for 
and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, where- 
in the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and 
the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Neverthe- 
less we, according to his promise, look for new heav- 
ens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 
— 2 Peter iii. 10-12-13. This is the same state of 
things spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Dan. chapt. 
ix. 24: ^^Seventy weeks are determined upon thy peo- 
ple and the holy city, to finish the transgression, and 
to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in 
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and 
prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.'.' 

"I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the 
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the foun- 
tain of the water of life freely. ''' ^ But the fear- 
ful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murder- 
ers, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake 
which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the 
second death." 

Here, my dear reader, is offered you freely, the 
water of life, if you will accept it, if not you must ac- 
cept the other, which is — the second death. But we 
must pass hastily to the authority and last call. 

^^I, Jesus, have sent mine angel (messenger) to 
testify unto you these things in the churches. I am 
the root and the offspring of David, and the bright 
and morning star." "And the spirit and bride say 
come. And let him that heareth say come. And let 
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let 
him take the water of life freely." 



ii^ide:^^ 



PAGE 

Introduction 5 

Object of the Messenger 11 

Revelation 11 

The time of writing the book of Revelation .... 12 

Examination of time of writing the Apocalypse 14 

The two dispensations, and time of the judgement 30 

The second coming of Christ 42 

The Resurrection 49 

What is Man? And doctrine of Atonement. ... 56 

Reward and Punishment, or Life and Death 60 

What must I do to be saved? 6;^ 

The Second Death 68 

What is the Church? 70 

Inspiration 73 

ApostleSj-Possibly Messengers as their successors 75 

Theology 76 

Index to the book of Revelation 86 



Pag-e 11, 6th line from top, Having- been redeemed to God by the 
atonement of Jesus Christ, we stand before him in judgment. 

Page 16, 5th line, DeDieu. 

Pag-e 16, 13th line, Harduin. 

Pag-e 28, Acts xi, 37. 

Page 17, Last line, Trag-an usually spelled Trajan. 

Page 38, 13th line from bottom, extent. 

Pag-e 76, Theology is defined by Webster, to be "The science of God 
and his relations to his creatures; the science which treats of the 
existence, character and attributes of God,— His laws and g-overn- 
raent; the doctrines we are to believe and the duties we are to prac- 
tice." 

Pag-e 78, 13th line from top, lives. 

Page 87, 13th line, sons. 



